The Millennium Child
by wishican97
Summary: When Camilla showed up at camp, she thought she would be claimed within a week. But now ten months have passed, leaving Camilla to wonder who, and what she really is. After a chance meeting, she and Nico become fast friends. Will he be her key to unlocking the past, and will she be the light in his otherwise dark future? Please R&R for more! Rated T.
1. Early Mornings and Ghost Kings

I tightened my sword belt a little. The sheath brushed my lower thigh every time I stepped, reminding me of just how far I had come in these past ten months.

I stood at the door of the Hermes cabin, and slowly looked around. The sun was coming up, tinting the sea a million shades of gold and bronze. I saw a large fin appear in the distance, then sink back down into the waves.

I turned my attention to the rest cabins next. The Apollo cabin had already started to glow, and its counterpart, the Artemis cabin, was fading back into a dull grey. I heard movement around the back of the Demeter cabin, and I smiled a little. Those kids were almost as early of risers as I was.

The rest of my cabin was still asleep, so I knew I had a good fifteen minutes to finish what I needed to do.

I slipped off in the direction of the arena, happy knowing that I was the only person who would even consider training this early.

But judging by the sound of metal hissing through, someone else had taken the opportunity to train in silence also.

I unsheathed my sword, and shouted to the other side of the arena "Up for a sparring match?"

The person turned around, pushing a hood off of their head. "You sure?"

Crap. It was one of the older campers. There was no getting out of this one, so I nodded, slipping easily into a strategic mindset.

He started walking towards me, slowly raising his obsidian sword. I could tell by the look on his face that he thought he had me beat.

Without warning, he charged. I simply sidestepped, letting his momentum carry him. The fight went on like this for a few minutes, both of us getting a feel for the others movements, watching for weak spots.

He apparently thought he had found mine, so he made his move. Raising his sword above his head, he tried to strike downwards and at an angle, to rip my sword from my hands. I blocked, and the shock ripped through my shoulders. He felt it too, and he dropped his sword.

I kicked it, flipping it off to the far right. He looked at me with a mildly amused expression, then ran forward and swiped my feet out from beneath me, flipping me onto my back. He picked up my sword, which had been knocked out of my hands when all of the oxygen in my lungs had been forced from my body.

"You probably-" I gasped out, "shouldn't stand there." His eyebrows arched, and I kicked him hard in the stomach.

Now we were both on the ground, gasping for breath. But my fight hadn't died out yet. He had gotten on my last nerve, and we were going to finish this.

I rolled onto my front, and got on my knees. My legs were unsteady as I stood, but I managed to stumble over to where he had tossed my sword. He grumbled something and rock up onto his feet.

"At least give me a fighting chance." He taunted, trying to inch his way over to his sword. I swished my blade beneath his nose, and he froze. I swung it above my head, then brought the sword down, smashing it four inches into the hard packed earth.

"There you go. Now we're both unarmed and winded. Happy?" I asked, wincing as my side pinched.

He just shot me another look. "My names Nico," He said, sticking out his right hand and pressing his left to his side. "It's nice to meet you."


	2. Bonafide Bromance and Bonfires

"My names Nico," He said, sticking out his right hand and pressing his left to his side. "It's nice to meet you."

"Mine's Camilla." I said as I bent down to grab my sword. "Aren't you the kid everyone keeps calling the 'Ghost King' or whatever that is?" I asked as I half winced, half smiled at him.

He rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled through his nose. "Yeah, and I'd ask you if you're going to run, but given that you demonstrated quiet a strong fighting reaction back there I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're first instinct isn't flight?"

"No, not really. But I don't make a habit of being afraid of people I just beat up, so…"

I couldn't help but laugh at the look on his face. He looked a little taken aback.

"You didn't beat me up, silly child." He stated, folding his arms over his chest.

"Silly child!?" I walked up to him and hit him in the back of the head.

He gave me the same slightly amused look that he had given me before. "You're going to be a handful, aren't you?"

"Wait, what?" I asked, but he just put a hand on my shoulder and started steering me towards the Mess Hall.

I watched for a second when he stopped at the head table to talk to Chiron and Mr. D, but then slowly backed away to the Hermes table. Conner and Travis looked at me out of the corners of their eyes, and gave me almost matching grins.

"What?" I asked, as I picked up half of Conner's turkey sub and bit into it.

"Hey!" He exclaimed.

"Oh…Someone's new boyfriend is coming…" Travis said as he slathered another french fry in ketchup and crammed it in his already puffed up cheeks.

"Ewww…" I said, scrunching up my face at Travis. "That is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen."

"Hey, a boy's gotta eat, right?" He said. In went more fries.

"Hi Nico," Said Adda. I was surprised, she's usually really shy. Mischievous, but shy. She smiled, and then went back to eating.

I spun around on the bench, looking up at Nico. He look sort of intimidating, with the sunshine behind him like that. Very, shall we say, 'regal'?

"What'cha need Nic?" Asked Conner, given that Travis was in no state to be speaking.

"I wanted to talk about strategies with you guys." He said, twitching his head to the side, trying and failing to get his hair out his eyes.

"Stragy bou wha?" Said Travis, his mouth still over flowing with food.

"Ah, so you wish to be paired with the masters themselves." Conner leaned back and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Okay, I'm just gonna leave you two _lovely_ boys with your bromance." I patted Travis on the shoulder and stood up.

"I wasn't talking about being paired with them, Camilla. I was talking about being paired with you." He shot a look at Conner, and I smirked a little. "We're up against the Ares cabin again, and I think we should be stealthier this time. No frontal attacks, no confrontations. I think we should have smaller groups, and I think Camilla and I would make a pretty good one." He looked at me, his brown eyes pleading.

I glanced at Conner, and then nodded. "Sounds good to me, but Nico? I have one quick question." I stopped to give a little smirk then continued, "Whose plan was this?"

He gave me a lopsided smile, saying, "Very perceptive," He stood up and started walking back to his table, but he stopped by me and said, "Annabeth's" before disappearing into the crowd of demi-gods.

I ended up sandwiched between Annabeth and Nico that night at the bonfire. I had to keep reminding myself that I could just talk to Nico about all of this later, because Annabeth wasn't making any sense to me. Percy shot me a sympathetic look from across the fire. I made a face, and he smiled.

"So, in summary, all you two have to do is find the flag, retrieve it, and get it across the border. Got it?" She looked form my face to Nico's and we both nodded. She seemed satisfied, and went to join Percy.

As soon as she was out of earshot Nico started laughing.

"So Nico, can you translate please?" I asked, giggling a little.

We spent the remainder of the bonfire discussing Annabeth's plan, making changes where we thought they were needed.

As we walked back to the cabins, I felt his eyes on me. I looked at him, curious.

He just twitched his head to the side again, still having no affect on the hair in his eyes.

"Friday should be interesting." I said awkwardly.

"Yeah, yeah it sure will." He said, then wandered off.


	3. Sunshine and Flashbacks

I smiled to myself, stretching my arms above my head. I felt my spine crack, and I sighed.

I pushed my headphones in and started towards jogging towards the beach. The sun was just starting to come up, and it was casting long shadows across the camp.

Like I said before, I wake up early. Most of the time the nature spirits are the only ones up. Sometimes I'll catch up with a satyr on the stretch of trail that runs through the woods, but for the most part, I'm on my own.

I ran down the beach for a while, turning left where the path lead uphill. It wasn't an incredibly hard run, but still enough to leave me winded when I reached to cliff twenty minutes later. I stopped a few feet away from the edge and sat down on one of the stone 'benches' that they nymphs had placed there. The rough hewn stone cut into the back of my thighs, but it was cool against my skin, so I didn't get up.

The sea was calm, but I could see a storm gathering off to the north. I knew it wouldn't affect Camp Half-Blood, but sometimes I wished they would let just one or two in. I love rainy weather, and I had missed it since coming here.

I laughed a little, but it wasn't the happy kind. More than anything, I just felt sad. What had I done wrong? I'd almost given up on ever being claimed, and I wasn't hopeful that my strange gifts could ever be explained. Chiron said that it might have something to do with what the lunar cycle around my birth, but I think he was lying.

I had tried talking to Rachel, but all I got out of her was a sympathetic smile and an ominous, "You'll know why your time comes."

I kick a pebble with the toe of my shoe, thinking back to when I came to camp.

I remember being chased, and a whole lot of adrenalin. My head started pounding, and the images started flashing through my brain.

"_Kali!" I screamed, all of the air rushing from my lungs. The hellhound was advancing on her, forcing her farther and farther from the boarder. _

"_Get away from her!" I yelled, chasing after it. Using all of my strength, I kick off of the ground and onto its back. It reared, but I grabbed its matted fur and held on for dear life. _

"_Cam!" Kali screamed, looking terrified. _

_ I wanted to tell her to get to camp, but I couldn't talk without fear of losing my hold. All I could see was how afraid she was. _

_ Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone run and grab her. She tried to push him away, but he dragged her over the hill._

_ I let myself get distracted, and after one good shake, I went flying off. _

_ I could smell its breath, and feel it across my face. It was sour, and my heart started pounding even harder. _

_Then something really strange happened. My hand started glowing, and I knew what I needed to do. Standing, I reached out and touched its snout. It was cold and wet, but I pressed down anyways. _

_There was a flash of white light, and when I opened my eyes, it was gone. _

_ The rest of the campers, including Kali, stood at the top of the hill. I slowly stumbled up, wishing that one of them would come forward to help me. _

_ I reached the peak, and the crowd parted. A tall man stepped forward, only he wasn't a man at all. I scrunched my eyebrows together and looked up at him. He had warm eyes and a nice smile. _

_ "What's your name, child." He asked, his voice kind._

_ "Um…Camilla?" It came out as a question, and his smile got a little wider. _

_ "Well, Miss Camilla, you have an extraordinary gift."_

_ "Thank you, I think…" I said. _

_ He turned to one of the campers, saying, "Make sure she gets to the infirmary. She will need the best medic. I can only think what that blast must have done."_

My head snapped up, and I started shaking a little. I never really liked to dwell on that day, given that that was the last time Kali ever talked to me.

She was claimed by the Demeter cabin. I was so happy for her, the way that they just welcomed her into their family. She had grown up in foster care, and I knew that having them be so welcoming was the best thing in the world for her.

It didn't change the fact the she hadn't spoken to me since she had seen what I could do. Most people didn't care all that much, they chocked it up to fluky demi-god powers. She never forgave me for being different though. She acted as if I had done something to hurt her, like I had known about my gift and had lied to her about it. I never lied though.

I looked out over the water again, taking a deep breath. There was no point in dwelling on what had happened.

I started my trek back down to the showers.


	4. Rainbow Children and Glowing Scars

After taking my shower, I slipped back inside my cabin. No one else was up and we had breakfast in a half an hour. I did the obvious thing.

"Good morning Sunshines!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "Time to get up and face another wonderful day!" I yelled again as I pulled Conner's blanket off of him.

"Come on you guys, you'll want to see the show. I guarantee it." I said, pulling off another blanket.

"What show?" Someone yelled, throwing a pillow at my head.

"Oh, you know. The one where I got into the showers and put food coloring in every shower head."

Travis's head popped up. "Aphrodite cabin had the first shift, didn't they?" He asked, mischief glinting in his eyes.

I gave him a wicked grin, nodding.

"Alrighty kiddos, you heard the lady. Up and at 'em, we have a show to catch."

In record breaking time, my whole cabin was dressed and out the door. By the time we had reached the showers, there were already yelps and screams coming from inside.

When Drew came running out screaming, her hair tinted an ugly shade of green, I was leaning against one of the older boys from the cabin, Marcus. We were in hysterics, most of my cabin wasn't even standing anymore, they were just rolling around on the ground trying not to wet themselves.

"Cam, are you sure you're not Hermes' kid? Cause this," He gestured at the rainbow colored mess in front of us, "this is just amazing." Marcus gasped out between fits of laughter.

A couple kids had regained control and had managed to stand up. Some had started walking off to the Mess Hall, grinning like mad.

Nico walked up beside me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Ready for breakfast?" He asked, acting like there weren't a couple dozen angry Aphrodite kids glaring at us.

"Yep." I answered, and we joined the rest of the Hermes cabin.

Chiron was holding back a laugh as he lectured us on not pulling pranks. He kept glancing at the Aphrodite cabin and clearing his throat.

"As you can see, we have quite a situation on our hands." He nodded in the direction of the Rainbow Children. "The Apollo cabin has assured me that we can get the color out of their skin and hair, but that is beside the point. What happened here today was unacceptable." He glanced at me. "Now, I have seen my fair share of outlandish pranks in all of my years here, including the Pear, which the Stoll brothers graciously bestowed upon us a few years back." Another disapproving look for the Hermes table.

"With that said, I must ask for the perpetrator to step forward. It is not something I desire to do, but you must serve some sort of punishment for your actions." He looked at me, then the Stoll brothers.

I glanced at the rest of cabin, praying that they wouldn't rat me out. None of them seemed to be caving, and I look at Travis. He smirked and pointed behind my right shoulder. I spun and saw the Aphrodite cabin sulking their way to their table. The only one who wasn't in tears was Piper, who looked like she might even be slightly amused.

The whole Mess Hall erupted in laughter, even the usually solemn children of Hypnos were chuckling. Someone kicked my knee under the table, and I snapped my attention back to them. Marcus was winking at me, and a few of the others were nodding approvingly.

Chiron stomped his hoof into the marble, and everyone went quiet. "Please campers, let's try and contain ourselves. Now please, if you know who did this, tell me or one of the head counselors. No one will know who told, we just need to know who did this to the Aphrodite cabin." And with that said, he returned to the head table.

I bolted as soon as I could, making my way to the climbing wall. Some of the Ares kids had skipped breakfast in order to train, so they hooked up my equipment at the top. One of the kids, I think his name was Aaron, leaned over and gave me a thumbs up.

I took a couple steps back and got a running start, launching myself a few extra feet. I started scrambling up, acutely aware of the timer the walls were on. I started to feel them shake, and I knew my time was running low. They had started to slowly come together, and my heart lurched around in my chest. My adrenaline kicked in, making my fingers shake.

I started leaping from one ledge to the other, scrambling over rough edges. I was only four feet away from the tip when my foot slipped. I grabbed onto the scraggly rock ledge, ignoring the fresh gash on my leg.

I wasn't even thinking anymore, all I knew was that the walls were only three feet apart, and closing fast.

Before I knew what was happening, I kicked against the far wall. The same light that I had seen my first night at camp erupted from my hand again. I braced my legs against one wall, and pushed. They slowly spread apart, and I realized what I had just done.

Aaron looked down at me, and then blew a large horn at the top, signaling for Chiron and Mr. D. He lay down on his stomach, reaching down to grab my hand. I gripped his wrist, and he tugged me up. I just laid down there until Chiron's face appeared above mine.

He signaled for one of the Apollo medics, who knelt next to me. She put her arm behind my back, helping me stand. My knees gave out, and I thought for sure she was going to drop me.

The next thing I knew, Nico had one arm around my back, and the other under my knees. I curled up against his chest, my head and heart pounding.

I felt myself being shifted into someone else's arms, and then once again. The third time, I felt like I was being lifted upwards.

I started to panic, and my breath quickened.

"Camilla, it's okay. It's Percy, alright? You're going to be just fine. Don't worry Cam, we're just going to fly you back to the Big House. We're on Blackjack. You're going to be fine." The way he kept repeating how I was going to be fine had me worried.

I tried to nod, but it hurt too much. Percy understood though, and he held my waist a little tighter until we reached the Big House and I was safely transferred back down to ground level.

"I've got her Percy." I tried to look and see who had said that, but my head hurt too badly to open my eyes.

Whoever it was carefully carried me inside. One of the Apollos was instructing everyone on what to do, but all of the noise just made my headache worse.

I cried out, and everyone went still.

"Help." I whimpered, tears streaming down my face. It was like no pain I had ever experienced, but everyone just stood around. Everything was dead quiet.

"Please…" I breathed, trying not to pass out. My whole body was on fire now. It burned so intensely, I started to scream. Cries of agony escaped my lips. Still, no one moved.

Whoever was holding me set me down on a cot, and my body retched. Everywhere the sheet touched was like hot coals.

"Help me please…Anyone!" I cried out, still with no response.

I heard someone open the front door, and the footsteps quickly ascending the stairs.

"Oh my Gods!" Nico yelled, and I cried out again. "Chiron, do something!" He was pleading, but Chiron didn't reply.

Finally, I heard Percy say, "Marcus, go get Rachel. She's going to want to see this." For the first time, Percy sounded somber. "Nico, you need to leave." I heard him take a step in the direction that Nico's voice had come from.

"Not until someone does something. Can't you see she's suffering? You can't leave her like that." His voice dropped down to a hiss, and I could tell that he and Percy were toe to toe.

Just as suddenly as the light had flashed, the pain in my body eased. I relaxed, allowing my aching body to sink into the soft sheets. "Nico?" I asked, my voice came out in a barely audible whisper.

I opened my eyes, and everyone in the room was staring at me. "What?" I asked, embarrassed of my behavior.

Moira, one of the Apollo campers just picked up a handheld mirror from a large table in the corner of the room. She inches over to me, carefully passing it to me. I looked up at her, but she just nodded.

She turned the mirror around, and I saw why everyone was staring. My skin was etched all over with glowing lilac lines. They traced around my body, soft as moonlight.

I stood, suddenly feeling stronger than I had in a long time. I lifted my arms, the lines were there too. I look at Chiron, panic stricken.

He glanced around the room and said, "Everyone but Percy, Nico, Annabeth, Travis, and Conner out please."

They slowly made their way to the door, and right before it closed Marcus looked at me. It was the same look that Kali had given me. I felt my heart break a little.

Chiron walked over to me, ducking to avoid the low hanging light fixture.

"Sit down please dear." He gestured to one of the cots, and I let my body drop onto it.

"What's happening to me?" I asked, my voice shaking.

He put a hand on my arm, and spoke to the others.

"Come here please, there is something we all need to discus."


	5. Brave Dawns and Little Men

"So I'm a child of Eos? Who is that?" I asked, turning to Chiron.

"She was the original goddess of dawn. She brought hope, a new day." He said, smiling.

"Yes, she _was_ an incredible figure head before Apollo stole her spot in the skies." Mr. D said, taking a noisy drink from his can of diet coke.

"The strength thing, what was that about?" I asked, ignoring Mr. D's snide remark.

"Most assume that because she was the dawn, that your mother is a pacifist. That isn't true. What do you think of when you think of the dawn?" Chiron asked.

I sat back in my chair, thinking. "It's a fighting chance," I said after a second or two. "It's a soldier's last hope. It's the one thing a hopeless man can count on, the fact that the sun will rise, bringing with it bravery and hope. In order for the day to begin, dawn has to fight back the monsters in the dark."

He smiled, apparently satisfied with my answer. He gestured for me to keep asking, so I did.

"What was the whole burning sensation back there? Is it going to happen again?" I asked, recoiling from the very thought of going through that again.

"No, what you experienced was called a marking. Think of it like this. You were put here to help people, whether it's one person or one thousand. What happened to you happened to every child of Eos. Your aura was tying itself to each person you were sent to help. In ways that neither of you will ever be able to see, your souls are tied together."

"Did the people I was being tied to feel anything?" I asked him, tapping my dangling toes on the floor.

"They're not supposed to. The feeling is tied completely to you, as your soul is the one being pulled apart."

"Good." I said. I was happy that no one felt that pain but me, although I was a little freaked by the 'soul being pulled apart' thing.

"Where are we going to put her?" Asked Conner.

"Yeah, we really can't keep her in the Hermes cabin now that she's been claimed." Travis said, running his hang through his unruly curls.

"Until we can get a cabin constructed, she will stay here in the Big House. The attic is empty, we can send the Harpies up there clean." Chiron said, turning his wheel chair around and refilling his water.

"I think we need to go, our cabin has archery next, and things can get a little out of hand without supervision." Conner said, glancing down at his watch. He and Travis told me to stop by later tonight, after the bonfire, so that I could say a couple goodbyes.

"I can call Tyson and tell him to assemble a group of Cyclops' to help build." Percy said, walking out of the room to Iris Message Tyson.

"Cam, do you want me to get started on a few different designs?" Annabeth asked, standing.

"You can do that?" I asked, looking up at her.

"Yeah. Athena, remember?" She smiled at me and slipped out the back door.

"Um...Thanks?" I said after she had closed the door. My head was spinning so fast, I didn't even think to thank all of them.

Nico was still sitting in the recliner, he had passed out somewhere in between Chiron bandaging my leg and his explanation as to whom my mother was. I smiled at his sleeping frame. He looked like the fifteen year old boy he was supposed to be, rather than the Ghost King everyone expected him to be.

I thought about how much weight that had to be, carrying around other peoples shadows all the time. I carefully slipped around the arm of the chair and brushed the stray hairs away from his eyes.

I looked back at him as I slipped out of the Big House, and he was looking right back at me. A sleepy smile crept across his face, and gave a small wave as I clicked the door closed.

I walked down the steps and into the grassy area, surprised to see Marcus waiting on one of the wooden benches. I sat down beside him, tucking my hair behind my ears.

"I'm really sorry, about how I looked at you… I was just freaked. I shouldn't have, it was stupid." He let if all rush out in one long sentence, and then sighed.

I laughed, and he relaxed a little. "Friends again?" I asked, offering my hand.

He grinned at me, and replied, "Yeah, I think I could do that." He grabbed my hand, pulling me up.

"So," I said, bumping his buff arm with my tiny shoulder, "How's that little girlfriend of yours?"

"Who, you mean Amanda? She's good, she wants to see you again soon. You didn't spill any of my dirty little secrets to her, did you?"

I gave him one of the wicked grins that I had picked up after ten months of being around Hermes kids.

"Jerk." He said jokingly.

"Yeah, a little, but you love me anyways." I said, and started running towards the cabins.

"Hey, stop by the forge later. Me and Mandy'll be there around four!"

"_Fine_!" I yelled, slathering the word with false distain.

I walked into my old cabin to find Aiden jumping up and down on my old bed. At seven, he was the camps youngest.

"So I was 'finkin'." He said, plopping down on the floor.

"What were you 'finkin' about Aiden?" I asked as I started emptying my drawers into a big duffle bag.

"Well, here's the way I see it." He leaned against the edge of my bed as he spoke. "If you're leavin', there'll be a big bed open for me. Only problem I'm gonna have though, is getting' the _bigger _boys to give me the _bigger _bed." He wiggled his little eyebrows at me, making me giggle.

"Oh, I see. You think that you can just come in here and act all cool and I'll cave. You have underestimated me yet again, little master." I said, and he looked confused.

"I saw those _bigger_ boys on the way over here. The bed, my flirtatious friend, is already yours." His face lit up, and I gave him a quick hug.

"I'll see you around, 'kay kiddo?" I said as I stepped outside the door. He nodded, but his eyes had dimmed a little.

"Hey Aiden?" I said, stepping down one more step. "Look out for everybody for me, alright? If they're late for breakfast or if they get the last shower spot, I'll come looking for you." My voice cracked a little, but he smiled.

"I won't let you down." He said, running up and wrapping his arms around me.


	6. Protected and Rejected

**A.N. I'm sorry that I didn't get this up earlier today, things were just a little crazy. I really want to thank everyone who's followed my story, or left me a comment. You guys are the reason I worked through my writers block and finally got to where I was happy with the story again. :) I wanted to tell you guys that the next chapter will be from Nico's P.O.V, but after that we'll be back to normal again. :) **

**I really, truly appreciate your reviews, follows, and favorites. You're the bestest! :P**

I shifted the weight of my duffle, irritated. Drew had come to Chiron, complaining about how the person who pranked her cabin hadn't been caught yet.

"I'm very sorry Drew, but there is nothing I can do without proof as to who it was." He said, trying to calm her.

"But we _know _who it was!" She shrieked, making my ears ache. "It was Cam!" She pointed at me, flinging her arm dramatically.

"Oh please." I said, finally dropping my bag at the base of the stairs. "Even if it _was _me, how did I do? Hmm? I suck at plumbing, I can barely get the shower turned on. How do you think I dismantled them? " I raised my eyebrows and stuck my hands in my back pockets.

"She's right." Said Amanda, Marcus' girlfriend. She had come to check on me after Marcus told he what happened. "I tried to teach her how to unclog the drain in the Hermes cabin last week, and we ended up needing to order new parts." She took a drink of her cocoa, and winked at me when Drew wasn't looking. I smiled back, hoping no one would notice.

"I bet you helped her!" Drew screeched, flailing her arms yet again. Honestly, she sounded like a really big, obnoxious bird.

"I was in bed, you nitwit." She replied, loudly setting her mug on the counter.

"Chiron, did you hear what she just called me?" Drew whined.

"Oh my Gods! Fine! It was _me, _I was the one who put the food coloring in the showers." I saw Drew's mouth fall open, and I guessed at her next question. "Yes, Drew, I did have someone helping me. It wasn't Amanda though, and I'm not going to tell you who it was." I crossed my arms and set my jaw, making it clear that I wasn't bluffing.

Drew's face got really red. If Nico hadn't walked in with Annabeth and Percy, I think she was going to try and kill me. He walked over to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water.

"Hey Nico," Drew said, he voice thick with her charmspeak. "Do you think Cam should tell us who helped her prank my cabin?"

He closed his eyes, his face pinched. "I…"

Annabeth looked at Chiron, but he just raised his hand, signaling for her to wait.

"Yes Nicky?" She asked, and this time her charmspeak washed over the whole room. I started to feel sick. Judging by the look on Percy's face, he had felt it too.

"Yeah, I guess I do." Nico said, not opening his eyes.

"Would you be willing to get the answer from Camilla for me?" I thought for sure that I was going to vomit.

Nico nodded, taking a step towards me.

"Enough!" Yelled Amanda, grabbing Nico's shoulders. "Stop it Drew," Her eyes looked murderous. "He's had enough. You need to leave, now."

Drew paled and looked over at Chiron, who offered no support.

She bolted for the door, slamming it shut behind her.

I turned wide-eyed and looked at everyone. Nico had his head in his hands, Annabeth was looking from me to Mandy, then to Nico. Percy just looked a little lost.

"It has been made clear," Chiron stated, "That Drew's charmspeak has advanced an incredible amount. Most who have that gift can never fully control a person like that, especially one as powerful as Nico." He sounded concerned.

Nico looked like he might pass out. "How in Hades did she do that?" He asked.

"She has more than likely been practicing over the school year." He sighed, looking at me. "You need to be careful around her Cam."

"Why didn't she just charmspeak the answer out of me? Was there any reason in asking Nico, or was it just to make point?" I asked, worried.

"She tried to use it one you, didn't you feel it?" Asked Nico, taking his elbows off of the counter. "When she called me Nicky, that one was for both of us."

I felt like I had just been punched in the stomach. I looked at Chiron, who looked grim. "Is it possible to be immune to charmspeak?" I asked him.

"Yes, but for the most part it is only Aphrodite's children. There are certain ways to protect yourself, but most of them would involve the Hecate cabin."

I reached up, pulling a necklace out from under my shirt. "Lou Ellen gave this to me for my birthday. She said that it had protective qualities. Do you think this could be it?" I pulled it over my head, tossing it to him.

He looked it over and smiled. "Yes, I believe you should thank her. She must have foreseen Drew's behavior, very smart. I would hang on to this, Dear, it will come in quite handy."

He handed it back, and I tucked inside the neck of my shirt again. I looked up at Nico, feeling guilty.

"I'm _really_ sorry. I should have known she would pull something like that, I really...I mean… Gods, this is awkward." My voice lowered to a mumble, and I stared at my toes.

He patted my shoulder on his way to the door, saying "Better me than you, right?"

Annabeth and Percy looked at each other and smiled.

"What?" I asked them, backing away a little.

"Nothing," They said at the same time, too quickly. I glanced over at Mandy also, and she was snickering. Even Mr. D, who had wandered down after Drew had left, seemed partially amused.

I walked up the flight of stairs that lead attic and walked over to the window. I could see almost everything, but the view of the cabins was my favorite. It was breathtaking, I could see the water, the Mess Hall.

Smiling, I pulled my armor out, running my fingers along the seams. The Hephaestus cabin members had all pitched in to make it fit me perfectly. It hugged every curve, giving me an amazing amount of protection. They had designed the sides and back of the breastplate with panels that sat flush with the rest of the hard leather exterior, so that every time I moved my armor would stretch and bend with me. The panels came all the way up my spine, stopping at the base of my skull.

I shivered with the anticipation of the coming Friday night, thrilled to finally have a part to play. I mean, I loved Conner and Travis, but they were slightly too over protective. They always put me in the back, in spite of the fact that I was one of their best sword fighters.

A pounding on the door into the attic made me jump. "Uh…coming!" I yelled, throwing my armor onto the makeshift bed set up in the far corner and opening the door.

"Hey," Leo said, sauntering inside. "Nice crib…" He looked around the tight space, his eyes catching on the armor in the corner.  
"Looks like I'm actually going to be getting some use out of those." I said, smiling.

"Really? How did you get the Stoll's to let you on the frontlines?" He asked, his eyes wide.

"In case you hadn't noticed, my mom sent a pretty public eviction notice." I said, and suddered as the memory of the burns still tingled over my skin.

Leo looked lost in his own head, and I knew he was thinking about some sort of invention. I snapped my fingers under his nose, and he jumped.

"Whoa, what?" He looked a little panicked. "Right, sorry."

I laughed. "Don't worry about it. I've spent enough time around you to know that it's not personal."

"So I was thinking," He said, bouncing a little. "You know Piper, right?"

"I guess?" I said skeptically.

"And so I was thinking, since you two are both girls and girls have this secret girl-to-girl code they like to use, you might be able to work your 'I'm a girl so don't kill me' magic to put in a good word for me…" He trailed off, and I turned to him.

"You like Piper!" I shrieked, punching his shoulder.

"What? No! Nah, I mean…Nah." He pulled some wires out of one of his many pockets and started to fidget.

"You like Piper, you like Piper, you like Piper!" I sing-songed as I jokingly danced around, spinning.

Leo tried to reach out and tried to whack me in the head, but I tripped as I dodged and I fell towards the door.

I had the same feeling you get when you're a little kid and you start rushing towards the ground on the sea-saw. My insides seemed to leap around as I fell through the trapdoor.

Something strong wrapped around my waist, and I opened my eyes a little. Nico's hazel eyes stared down at me.

"Ohh… Hi?" I shrugged, trying to laugh it off.

"Oh Gods!" I heard Leo yell, rushing over to the hole.

Nico set me down, one hand still protectively on my waist. Leo caught it and grinned wickedly at me.

"So," He said, leaning against the doorframe. "Will you?"

I sighed, there was still a slight chance that I could avoid it, and one last ditch effort was mandatory.

"I think you're forgetting that I just dyed her whole cabin every color of the rainbow." I said. "I _really_ don't think that she's going to be all warm and fuzzy."

He glared at me, making it clear that Nico was not to be included in this conversation.

"Stop being such a baby and _talk _to her Leo. You're honestly not _that _bad."

As a reply, he just dropped his head and moaned.

"I hate you…" He mumbled.

"Yeah, most people do…" I smiled up at him sweetly, and he started down the steps.

When he was all the way down, I looked over at Nico.

"What were you doing up here?" I asked. The only room the narrow flight of stair we were on lead into the attic.

"I wanted to talk to you about capture the flag, but when I came up the stairs I could tell you had someone in there with you." He rested his back against the wall as he said this, and I was grateful. It's sort of difficult to have a conversation with someone when they're less than a foot away.

I noticed a mocking grin spreading across his face. "Hey, he just showed up here. I am in no way to blame for his odd behavior." I pointed down the steps to where Leo had disappeared.

"Yeah, Leo can be a bit eccentric. The guys a genius though."

I nodded. "I think he was the one who came up with the design of my armor. That stuff could survive a zombie apocalypse."

Nico laughed at my nerdy reference, and I blushed. "Do you have it up there?" He asked, jerking his chin in the direction of my new room.

"Yeah, I'll grab it and we can head over to the arena. You're pretty easy to beat."

He grinned at me as I came back down carrying my duffle, and we took off down the steps.


	7. Blue Eyes and A Warning

**A.N. This is the chapter I said I was going to write from Nico's P.O.V. This is something I've really wanted to do since starting the story. **

**To anyone who noticed that the stories rating went from K+ to T, good job, you are very observant. I changed it because I'd rather over-rate than under-rate. I SO don't plan on adding anything 'inappropriate' to the story, but I just wanted to make sure no one was offended. :)  
**

**Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing, following, and favoriting. It means the world to me. :) Don't be afraid to leave criticism. I really want to know how I'm doing, and that means taking the good along with the bad. :P **

**Now, on to the story! :D**

I laid down in my bed, exhausted. Cam and I had spent the last couple hours at the arena. She was incredibly competitive and shockingly strong for someone who was so tiny. The way she moved with her sword was borderline mesmerizing.

Chuckling, I remembered the first time I met her. It was so weird that it had only been the day before, if felt like we had been friends for years.

I thought back to that night at the bonfire and smiled. The way her auburn waves shone on the firelight, and how her deep blue eyes had sparkled as Annabeth rambled. How awkward she was when she caught me glancing at her as I walked her back to her cabin.

I felt my smile grow into a full blown grin, and I tried not to laugh when the image of the entire Aphrodite cabin dyed various colors flew though my head. Annabeth was right when she warned me that Cam would be a handful.

My mind wandered back to a week before, and I recalled me conversation with Piper, Annabeth, and Lou Ellen with perfect clarity.

_"You need to be careful, that's all we're trying to tell you." Annabeth said as she looked around my cabin, taking in the almost bare interior. My bed was pushed against one wall and I kept a few things that I used for necromancy were on top of the only dresser. _

_The fire in the gemstone encrusted fireplace crackled, and the heat warmed the cabin. _

_ "Yeah, as much as everybody seems to love Cam, my mom has warned me about her before." Piper said, looking at me with sympathy in her eyes. _

_ "I have no doubt in my mind that she is a sweet girl, but something about her is tied to a very dark future or a very dark past, and we don't want to see you caught up in it. _

"_She may be just a girl, but she is incredibly strong. Her aura is very strange, somehow very twisted and dark, yet it has a certain hopeful, beautiful light to it. That's why I gave her that protection amulet, to keep that darkness at bay." Lou Ellen said, gesturing towards her neck with her slender hands. _

_ "Yeah, because I've always been so terrified of people with dark pasts. You're totally blowing me out of the water here." I said sarcastically, leaning back into my chair. _

_ "Don't get defensive with me Nico," Annabeth warned. "I've known you since you were ten." _

_ "We know that you like her," Piper said, smiling at me. "But that doesn't mean this will end well. My mom has a way of twisting things around, especially for kids as powerful as you."_

_ "Oh, so now your mom is involved?" I asked Piper. "How long have you guys, and apparently multiple gods, been meddling in my non-existent love-life?" _

_ I was surprised by my sudden agitation, and I couldn't sit still. _

_ "Nico, just calm down, okay?" Annabeth looked at me worriedly, but I kept pacing. _

_ "Calm down?" I asked, my voice icy._

_ Piper glanced at the fire, which had dwindled to nothing. _

_ "Nico, you're scaring me." She said, rubbing her arms._

_ Only then did I notice that my sudden burst of anger had made the temperature drop ten degrees. _

_ "I'm sorry." I said, sitting next to the fire and trying to coax it back to life._

_ "Nico, we know how hard this must be for you, but you have to listen." Annabeth rested a sisterly hand on my shoulder, kneeling down next to me. I felt a pang in my chest as I thought about Bianca. _

_ "We're not telling you to stay away from her entirely Nico, we just want to make sure you're okay." Lou Ellen said. _

_ "Take it from Annabeth. She stuck it out with Percy, and now they're happily living their lives together." Piper's voice was soft. Her Aphrodite genes were definitely kicking in. "We're just trying to warn you. If you get yourself into this, I don't know if there will be an easy way out."_

_ "I know." I said. "There have been small upsets in the spirit world since she showed up, but that doesn't mean that I can walk away from this. Whether you like it or not, I need her. Somehow, somewhere, we're linked. I don't understand it, and I'm not sure I ever will, but there's no avoiding it."_

_ I turned and looked at them, trying not to show how shaken up I was. _

_ Piper gave me a sweet smile. Lou Ellen shook her head, but eventually sighed and smiled at me too. _

_ "You two are just hopeless romantics, and you're not helping my case here." Said Annabeth, laughing._

Someone pounding on my door pulled me out of my head, and I crabbily got up and yanked it open. Leo was standing there, sweat pouring down his face. He had a cut above one eye, and he kept wiping at the blood that trickled down.

"Whoa," I said, taken aback. "What happened to you?"

"Aphrodite cabin. They figured out that I was the one who helped Cam rig the showers. Turns out that they're a lot better fighters than they let on." He grimaced, wiping at his forehead again.

"Why would you help Cam rig the showers?" I asked, pulling him inside.

"Actually, Cam was the one helping me. I didn't really want to be up at the crack of dawn, so I fixed them at night so that she could just add the dye through a small funnel I installed." He pulled back when as I poured a small amount of peroxide into his cut.

Just then, Cam rushed in. She quickly slammed the door and looked at me. Her hair was piled up on top of her head, and she was wearing a pair of loose drawstring sweat pants. Her grey tee shirt was plastered to her back with sweat.

"Oh Gods, they found you too?" She asked Leo.

"Yeah. You think I cut my head for fun?" He answered.

It was an ordeal, trying to get Leo to sit still while I finished with his head. I gave up half way though, tossing the bloody rag into his lap.

"Hey!" He shouted indignantly.

"I can't fix this if you keep moving. In case you hadn't noticed, getting a head wound, even one that small, to stop bleeding is pretty freaking close to impossible." I spat at him, walking into the bathroom and washing my hands.

When I came back, Cam was standing next to Leo, her delicate fingers carefully cleaning out the bits of dirt and fuzz that had found their way onto the cut.

"Stop fidgeting." She said quietly, resting a hand on his shoulder.

He stilled, and she reached for the bandages. As she extended her arm, she winced. She must have tripped on her way here, because there was a large bleeding scrape running from the middle of her forearm all the way up past her elbow.

She noticed me looking and gave a weak smile. 'I'm fine.' She mouthed, and reached for the medical tape.

"Alright Leo," She said brightly. "You're good to go. It wasn't deep, and the salve that I put on there should accelerate the healing. Just don't go getting your head bashed in for the next few days."

"Sounds good to me," He said, hoping up from the chair I had sat him in and walking over to the door. "You two kids behave yourselves now." He slipped out, and I could hear as he stumbled down the steps that lead down from my cabin.

I looked over at Cam, and she was lightly tapping her toes on the floor behind her. She was looking everywhere in the cabin, but not at me.

I walked over to the first-aid kit and pulled out a couple of things. She sighed and sat down on the edge of the coffee table, extending her arm.

I rested two fingers gingerly under her elbow, and lifted it up so I could see how deep the cut actually was.

"So what happened to you?" I asked as I dabbed at her arm with a peroxide soaked cloth.

"I was headed back to the Big House from the Hermes cabin, and they just kind of came out of nowhere. I bolted, and I don't know, I just kind of thought that coming here would be best."

I chuckled, trying to hide how deeply happy it made me that she came to me for protection.

"Oh, so now my injuries are funny?" She asked, acting indignant.

"Only slightly," I said, and she hit me in the back of the head. "Probably not the best idea, Cam. I have a very sharp pair of tweezers very, very close to your skin."

The color drained from her face, and she looked sick.

"You okay there?" I asked, picking out another small piece of gravel.

"Yeah, I'm just not a fan of, you know, tiny sharp objects being jabbed into my flesh." She said, her voice tight.

"I'll be careful, I promise." I said, patronizing her. I got the exact reaction I knew I would.

"If you have a problem with doing that, I will gladly take care of it myself." She said, reaching out for the tweezers and arching her eyebrows, challenging me.

I just sighed and went back to her arm. I finished up quickly, carefully taping down the bandage.

"Hey Nico?" She asked from the main room as I washed my hands.

"Yeah?'' I replied.

"Who's this girl in all of these pictures?"

"Uh…That's kind of a long story."

"Tell me?"

I dried my hands quickly, and walked out to find her in front of the fireplace. The different gemstones inset in it were casting different colored patches across her and the whole cabin.

I walked up beside her, picking up my favorite picture of me and Bianca. It was on our second day here, and we were standing ankle deep in the ocean. She had one arm around my shoulders, and the other was blocking the sun from her eyes. My little kid self was grinning like, well, like a little kid. It was almost impossible to believe that the picture was taken a few short years ago.

I felt a hand on my arm, and was startled out my memories for the second time that day.

"You alright?" Camilla asked, looking from my face down to the picture.

"Yeah, it's just not an easy thing for me to talk about, that's all." I tried my best to hide how close to tears I was. "She was my sister, her name was Bianca."

"Was? Oh…" Cam glanced over at all of the pictures, realization in her eyes. "Nico, I…"

"Let me guess," I said, hating myself for how harsh I sounded. "You're sorry, and that sucks. Trust me, I've heard all of it before."

Her eyes instantly dropped to the floor, her hand falling from my arm at the same moment. She protectively wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"That's not what I was going to say." She whispered, not looking at me. "I was going to say how sorry I was, yes, but I was also going to tell you how sweet it was that you remembered her like this. There aren't a lot of younger brothers who would cherish every memory they ever had with their sister." She said, tracing her finger along one of the intricate frames.

I reached out and grabbed her hand, lacing her fingers with mine. "I'm sorry," I said, trying to make her understand so much without knowing what I really was even asking her to understand.

She looked up at me, peering out from underneath a veil of blond lashes. I guess she believed me, because she didn't pull her hand away.

"What was she like?" She asked.

"She was kind, and she looked like our mom. At least that's what my dad said, anyways."

"You never met your mom?"

"I did, when I was little. If I tell you something, do you swear not to run away screaming?" I asked, hesitantly.

Her blue eyes sparkled, "I don't run, remember?"

"You might make an exception this time." I said, and gestured for her to sit. She let go of my hand, perched on the arm of the couch opposite my chair, and pulled her knees up to her chest. "Me and Bianca, we, well… We were born before World War II, and, well, I'm almost ninety years old." I looked up at her, and her eyes were wide.

"Well, I need to get a hold of your diet plan, because dude, it's working." She smirked at me, letting me know that she was okay. "But seriously though, how have you even survived this long?" She asked, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Have you ever heard of the Lotus Casino?" She shook her head no. "It's a hotel that my dad put me and Bianca in after he had us dunked in the river Lithe. It makes time feel like it's frozen. What felt like a month was actually seventy years."

She smiled at me, but it wasn't a happy smile. "What's the river Lithe?" She asked, getting up and coming to sit next to me.

"It's a river in the underworld. It's waters erase every memory a person has, permanently." I said, wishing that I could regain just one glimpse of my mother.

She grabbed one of my hands in both of hers, and I looked over at her. "Ready to run yet?" I asked, wishing she would react somehow, instead of just sitting there and letting me wonder what she was thinking.

She looked at me, her eyes so sad it made my chest ache. "No," She whispered, pulling my hand to her lips and kissing the scarred knuckles.

"I need to get back, before Chiron gets worried." She stood, and I saw her hands shaking.

"Listen, I understand if you never want to talk to me again." I said, standing also, but she just looked up at me blankly.

"Nico, stop trying to scare me away please." She said, her voice hushed. "I'm not going anywhere."

I glanced down at her, wanting so badly to hold her. She took a step towards me, wrapping her arms around me and resting her head on my chest. I sighed and pressed my cheek to the top of her head. We just stood there, our arms around each other. I can't remember how long it was now, but it didn't feel like long enough.

"It wasn't your fault," She whispered, and my heart nearly broke open.

"You can say that all you want, it doesn't make it true." I said, holding her a little tighter.

"Nico…" She whispered, sliding her arms around my neck. "Look at me." She said, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "What happened was _not your fault_." She rested her head above my heart again, and I felt a tear fall.

"I need to go." She said, pulling away. She slipped on her sneakers, and looked up at me again. "I'll see you in the morning." She said quietly, and slipped out my door.


	8. A Goddess and A Picnic

**A.N. I know that this chapter is _incredibly _short, but just sort of came to me. I know that it's a bit like the last scene I wrote, but that was sort of on purpose. **

**Thanks to every one who has reviewed. :) To anyone who wants to write a review with criticism, please tell me what part of this you're criticizing. Things like 'Needs work' and so on are not comments that help me in any way. If you think that the story needs work, tell me what part of it needs work so I can improve. :) I really am trying, and I want to make my readers happy. :)**

**I'll try and update soon. :)  
**

**Just so you guys know, we're back to Cam's perspective. :)**

I wandered through the camp for hours after leaving Nico's cabin. I was hesitant at first, thinking that the Aphrodite cabin might pull something again. But as I walked past their cabin I could hear them talking and laughing, and I knew that they were done.

I somehow ended up at the beach, walking along the shore as the waves washed over my toes.

"Camilla?" I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't notice that there was someone else walking the beach in the pre-dawn light.

I turned, wondering why anyone else would be up at four thirty and the morning.

The woman looked surprisingly familiar, but I knew I had never seen her before. Something clicked in my brain, and I took an instinctive step back.

"Aphrodite?!" I yelped, confused.

"Hello, lovely." She said, smiling.

"Hi?" I meant for my voice to sound confident, but it came out as a shaky question.

"I wanted to…discuss something with you." She said, gesturing for me to sit on the picnic blanket that had appeared on the san beneath us. "Persephone has asked me to pay you a visit. Given that she is a friend of mine, I was in no place to refuse."

"What did she want to talk to me about?" I asked cautiously, sitting down across from the goddess.

She smiled, "As much as she pretends that Nico is her despicable step-child, Persephone has grown quite protective over him." She picked up a strawberry, took a small bite, and continued. "She wanted me to try and scare you away from him. Of course I would do no such thing; I am, after all, the goddess of love. You and Nico are one of my favorite little couples." She sighed dramatically, looking at the sea wistfully.

"What?" I asked, still trying to connect the dots. She had lost me somewhere between how Nico is a goddess's step child and how we're her favorite couple. Which meant that I understood none of what she had just said.

"I just wanted to warn you that your future with Nico, and your future without, will be impossibly hard." She looked at me sympathetically. "I know that Piper has warned Nico of this, but he is too strong willed to just walk away from you."

I stood, suddenly angry with the goddess. "And I'm what, just a weak little girl? So obviously I'm just going to run screaming in the other direction the second you tell me things won't be easy." I glared at her. "I don't care what you say. I'm not walking away from him. You can tell me all you want how much it might hurt me, but _I don't give a crap_."

She looked up at me, grinning. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "Sit back down, Darling."

I sat down next to her, feeling raw.

She rested her graceful hand on my shoulder. "To be honest, I too have grown quite fond of him over the years. It's just that I could never find anyone who had enough spunk to stay with him." She rested a motherly hand on my cheek, "Men from the house of Hades can be incredibly difficult to understand."

I rolled my eyes, feeling more at ease with the goddess now that I knew she wasn't trying to pull us apart. "Trust me, I know." I said, remembering Nico's emotional hesitation.

"Now Camilla," Aphrodite said, standing up and offering me a hand. "You have to keep that spirit of yours. That shouldn't be hard, given that your mother is Eos. That woman is _incredibly_ stubborn."

She smiled at me again, and said one last thing before disappearing into a burst of pink mist. "Be careful on Friday, dearest. Things lurk in the dark that even Nico knows nothing of."

And just like my peace of mind, she was gone.


	9. News and Nymphs

**Holy crab-cakes! We're one chapter away from double digits! Can we have a moment of silence in celebration? Thank you. **

**I'm really surprised that I'm able to post this. I wasn't thinking that I would get anything written tonight! :P**

**Thank you everyone who has been reviewing, following, etc. It means the world to me, and I lerv it. :P **

**Thanks again! :D**

I walked into the Big House in a daze. I silently wished that I had a cabin of my own, a nice warm bed to crawl into, and a door that locked.

I dragged my butt upstairs, hoping to get at least a little sleep before I had to see Nico again. I really didn't know how he was going to act after what had happened the night before.

I sighed for what seemed like the millionth time, and pushed the door into the attic open. I was startled to find Mandy sitting by the window, staring out over the camp.

I made a borderline inhuman noise and dropped, headfirst, into 'bed'. I heard Mandy chuckle and walk over next to me.

"I know you're tired, but I really need to talk to you." She said, flopping down next to me. I normally wouldn't let anyone that close, but Amanda and Marcus were like family.

"Uhhggg… Can it wait till later?" I asked, pulling a pillow over my head.

"Not really." She replied. "You know my family situation is far from fantastic, and you also know that you and Marc are, well, all I really have." I heard the sadness in her voice.

"Yeah." I whispered, dozing off.

"And, well Cam… Marc, well… he just asked me to marry him."

I was just about to fall asleep completely when the meaning of her words sunk in. "Really?" I squealed, sitting up. The whole camp had been waiting for it for months now.

"Yeah, I was asleep in my cabin, and he showed up. It was like, three in morning, but he looked so _adorable, _his hair was all messy and…" She took a deep breath, and then continued. "We went for a walk on the beach, and he just proposed. It was the sweetest thing ever." she said, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"We're going to move out in the country-side somewhere around camp half-blood as soon as he finishes school in New York." She mumbled into her knees, blushing.

"Awww…" I said, almost crying.

"Don't you start!" She said, jokingly hitting my arm when she saw how my eyes had watered up. "I might start crying too!"

I hugged her and told her to get back to her cabin. She just nodded, her eyes sparkling.

"We want to wait until after capture the flag, but then we're going to make the announcement!" She whisper-squealed on her way down the steps.

I crashed back down into by bed again, and horrifying thought came to me.

Aphrodite and I had been on the beach around four thirty. Marcus would never just show up like that, he just wasn't one for big surprises. Crap.

I pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to shut down my brain. One thing was perfectly clear. There was no way in Hades that I was getting any sleep.

* * *

I shuffled into the Mess Hall, late for breakfast for the first time since my second day here. Chiron motioned me over to the head table, and I begrudgingly sulked over.

"Whaaat?" I asked, rubbing my shoulder. The 'bed' they had set up was no bed at all. It was a medieval torture devise, designed to keep stressed out teens awake _all night, _or all morning, depending on whether that teen often spoke with love goddesses early on in her day.

"Well," Said Mr. D, "Someone is in a lovely mood today." He reached out and picked up his diet coke, and I wanted to dump my plate over his head.

"I take it you didn't sleep well?" Asked Chiron, his voice filled with concern.

"Yeah, well, an emotional outburst and a run-in with a goddess can have its negative effects." I said, my face pinched.

"Sit down, please." Chiron said, still worried. He waited until I had seated myself as comfortably as someone could on a stone bench, and asked me to tell him what had happened.

"The Aphrodite cabin decided to take their revenge on Leo and me last night. I ran into one of the other cabins. I ended up talking to the occupant of said cabin until one in the morning. You know it makes me tired when I get emotional." It all kind of rushed out, but Chiron just nodded.

"Then, knowing that I wasn't going to be able to sleep no matter how much I wanted to. I walked down the beach for hours, and Aphrodite was there. She said she wanted to talk to me about something, and given that she could blast me into a rose scented poof, I didn't argue." I looked up again, and to my surprise Mr. D had actually looked grumpily up from his food.

"She warned me about something, and then disappeared. I was shocked, so I went to go to bed. Mandy was in the attic waiting for me," I looked around, I didn't want to spoil Mandy and Marcus' big surprise. "She said she needed to talk. She told me that Marcus had showed up at her cabin at like, three in the morning. They went for a walk on the beach, and he proposed.

"I know that they really want this, but I think Aphrodite gave them a little push." It felt so good, sharing it all with someone. It was a huge weight off of my shoulders. "I don't want to cause trouble, I just, I don't know. Aphrodite told me, and I quote,

"'Be careful on Friday, dearest. Things lurk in the dark that even Nico knows nothing of.'" I sighed.

"What in Hades does that even _mean_?" I rested my head in my hands, feeling the weight that had been so briefly removed come rushing back.

"Go eat with the rest of the campers. For today, just pick whichever table gets you out of here quickly." Mr. D sighed, looking irritated. Aphrodite's actions probably meant he would have to at least Iris-Message the rest of the Gods.

Chiron nodded and smiled at me, but he looked distant. I just nodded awkwardly and backed away. I saw that Nico was at breakfast still. Most of the campers had cleared out, moving on to the rest of their day.

"Hey," I said softly, sitting down across from Nico. I had wanted to sit next to him, but I didn't even know if he wanted to see me, much less have me anywhere near him.

"What's up?" I tried to sound casual, but there was an edge of nervousness in me voice.

"Not much." He replied, not looking up from his food, which seemed to get increasingly interesting with every second that passed.

"That's good…" I said, taking a bite of my pancakes. I made sure to set one aside for an offering, making a mental note so offer some to Aphrodite and Mr. D.

"Listen, Nico." I said, dropping my fork. "I really, _really_ don't want to bring this up, but I really don't have a choice." I looked down, wishing that I was better at talking things out with people.

"Last night was really weird, but at the same time, I wouldn't change a single second of it. I know you don't want to talk about it, but there's no going back." I glanced up at him, and he was looking right at me.

"What happened last night shouldn't have happened at all." He said, returning his full attention to his almost empty plate.

I felt like I had been stabbed. His tone, everything about him seemed angry.

"_What happened last night shouldn't have happened at all." _ I said, mimicking his voice. "Don't give me that, De Angelo." He flinched when I used his last name. "I might not be the best at reading what's going on in the crazy head of yours, but even I could tell that we connected last night. Or maybe it was just me, if so, I'm really sorry."

I quietly got up and dumped my offerings into the flames at the altar, wishing that I had someone to talk to about what had gone on between me and Nico.

I wandered around camp, not sure of what I should do. I had always just followed the cabin itinerary, but now I didn't have a cabin. I secretly wondered in Percy and Nico felt like this sometimes. It's sort of a freeing feeling, but lonely at the same time.

I looked up, not realizing how far I had walked until I heard the sound of stamping hooves.

The Pegasus stable was one of my favorite palaces in the camp. It was just so nice to be around living things that couldn't talk sometimes. I peered around the corner, checking for Percabeth **(A.N. I think she would refer to them by their cute little couple name. I have no idea why… :P). **I didn't see them, so I stepped inside.

I knew there was no danger of running into Nico here. The Pegasus made him nervous, and vice-versa. I kicked at some hay and wrapped my arms around myself. There was a chill to the shadows inside the stable, and I started to shiver.

"Hey Cam," I turned at the sound of Grover's voice, happy to see him. "What are you doing in here. Hey, are you okay?"

Crap. He had noticed. Grover had a way of doing that, and when I was temperamental it came in really handy. When I wanted to be left alone? Not so much

He came up to me and hugged me, and I couldn't help but hug him back.

"Juniper!" He called, making me smile. The way he said her name was just too darn cute, with the little sigh he gave at the end. "Come in here please, it's Cam. Something's wrong."

She came rushing around the stable doors, and as soon as Grover let me go, she had me wrapped up in a huge hug.

"Hi Juniper," I said, my voice muffled. I was shorter than her, so my face was squished into her shoulder. I wished I was taller. Juniper was by no means tall, I was just so teeny. I hated it. People always assumed that I was too wimpy to do anything for myself.

"Grover," She said sweetly, letting me go but keeping a hand across my shoulders. "Why don't you give us some time? Nymph-to-girl?"

"Oh," Grover said, looking wounded. "Alright."

After he had taken his time mopping out of the stable, Juniper laughed. I couldn't help it, I laughed too. It was so adorable how Grover hated to leave her.

"What's wrong, kiddo?" Juniper said, taking my arm and strolling out into the bright sunlight. She seated herself lightly on a large rock and patted it, making it clear that she wanted me to sit by her.

I sighed, and wished for the second time that I was better at this stuff. I scooted up next to her.

"You know about Nico's family, right?" I asked her. I didn't want to share any information that Nico didn't want me to. I may have been mad at him, but I wasn't that mad.

"Yeah, it's _so _sad what happened to Bianca. I think he still blames himself for it." She looked at the sky distantly. "I take it that he told you?"

I nodded, and she continued. "Everything?" She asked, peeking at me from the corner of her eye.

I nodded again. "I was happy that he did. I knew he was hurting, but I could never have guessed that he was _that_ hurt." I pulled my knees to my chest as I felt the first tear fall. "I wanted to kiss him June. Is that horrible?"

She laughed, easing some of the tension in my chest. "Sweetie, I wanted to kiss Grover the first time I met him, and I'm a whole lot older than you." She chuckled, "I'm just surprised that you held out this long."

She winked at me, and I groaned. "But Nico isn't Grover. Grover is sweet and innocent, Nico is…Ugh… Nico can be sweet, but for the most part he's just annoying."

I bashed my head against my knees repeatedly.

"I'm going to let you in on a little something," She said, smiling. "Any guy, anywhere, _at all_, is annoying to the girl that likes him. I wanted to strangle Grover all the time when we started dating. I still feel that way most of the time."

"I just remembered something…" I mumbled against my knees. "I have to play capture the flag with Nico tomorrow."

Juniper rubbed my back, and I felt more at ease.

"You'll do just fine, kiddo." She said. When I had first met her, her calling me kiddo had gotten on my nerves. But I was so raw, it was nice to have a reminder that I still was a kid, in some ways.

"Hey Juniper?" I called as she walked away. "You really love Grover, don't you?"

"Yeah," She said, blushing evergreen. "Now go talk to Nico. You can't use me to stall."

She made a very sisterly _tsk-tsk _sound, and swished away into the woods.

I sighed at no one.

"Time to talk to Ghost Boy…" I grumbled and set off towards the arena.


	10. Ares Campers and Angry Duels

**Two in one night!? Oh that crazy girl! Okay, you guys can go ahead and tell me how awesome I am… Go ahead. :P Haha! Not really… :P**

** This chapter kind of hit me in the face, which meant another 11:30 writing session. I've been having those more and more since joining this website. Coincidence? I think not! **

** Thanks to everyone who has commented and followed, etc. I really do appreciate it!**

** A special thanks to tinkerbell427, who is really nice. :) **

** Sorry to anyone who isn't into romantic things, you won't like my stories, I promise. I'm a die-hard romantic, and that will never change… :P **

** And oh my gawl, this is the tenth chapter. We've hit double digits people…things are gettin' cray. :P Haha!**

I carefully walked into the arena, trying to avoid any of the Ares campers. Nico was on the opposite end, engrossed in his duel with Clarisse. It was amazing to watch how they moved. Clarisse was easily one of the best fighters at camp, and even though she didn't like me all that much, I had to admit that she really was talented.

I watched them intently, wishing I had their stamina. If I ever got into a fight, I had to end it quickly or it was a guaranteed loss.

Clarisse glared fiercely at Nico, and charged. Nico easily dodged, spinning at the same time. He took the offensive, slashing his black iron sword dangerously close to her stomach. She tried to block as he hit her in the chest with the butt of his sword, but she wasn't quite fast enough. She ended up sprawled on her back, her chest heaving.

"Not bad, Di Angelo." She said, standing. She turned to leave, and almost ran straight into me. Her frame towered over me, and felt myself take an involuntary step back. As if sensing my fear, she smirked.

"Gonna go hide now?" She asked, taunting me. "Too afraid to get into a real fight?"

"No Clarisse," I replied dryly, having regained my composure. "I just don't want to get arrested for animal cruelty."

Her brow furrowed, and I prayed silently that I hadn't over done it.

"You. Me. Now." She said, pointing first at me, them herself, then the hard packed ground beneath our feet.

"Mm'kay." I said, pulling my sword from my belt and twirling to face her. "You sure you want to do this?" I asked innocently. At that moment, I felt anything but innocent. It felt like I was on fire, every hair on my arms stood on end.

As her answer, Clarisse charged. I ducked as she swung at my head, and slashed at her stomach in return. She started laughing, her cabin mates had made some joke about my tiny body. I was enraged, I was starting to see red. I resisted the urge to turn and attack her siblings, I used her momentary distraction to my advantage.

Her face was a mix of rage and shock as I stepped in front of her and swing the butt of my sword down into her shoulder. Which was harder than it sounds when you're small.

With anyone else, I would have shown some sort of restraint. I knew Clarisse would never return the favor, that she would more than likely be angry with me for showing mercy.

She curled up on the ground and muttered a few choice Greek curses at me before standing and shaking my hand. Strange though it was, I thought I may have earned her respect.

I heard a chuckle from off to my left as Clarisse stormed off. I really didn't want to turn and face who was standing behind me.

I slipped my sword back into its sheath, and placing a hand on my hip, turned and looked at Nico.

_Holy Hephaestus_, I thought. _Stop it! You are very angry with him!_ I inwardly screamed at myself.

Nico's dark hair was a mess, and the sun was hitting it, making it look incredibly soft. His hazel eyes looked at me, and I stepped forward.

My nerves were still tingling, but fighting with an Ares kid does that to you. The more powerful ones, like Clarisse, have a very angering affect on people. It had nothing to do with Nico's eyes. At all.

"What?" I spat defensively, cocking my hip out to the side.

He unsheathed his sword, looking pointedly at me. "You up for one more?" He asked.

I ripped my sword out this time, suddenly feeling angrier than I had in a long time. I could hear my pulse pounding in my ears.

"You sure?" I asked, bringing back memories of our first meeting. He looked a little confused; like he was wondering if that should terrify him or make him laugh.

I charged at him, swinging my sword with so much force that if the blow would have landed it would have taken months to heal fully. Nico looked at me angrily, and swung at me.

"What in Hades are you so angry about?!" He yelled, dodging another one of my furious blows.

"If you were any smarter than Clarisse, you would be able to figure it out on your own." I said, breathing heavily.

He charged again, and I wasn't paying attention. Blinded by my own anger, I had taken my eyes off of his.

I felt something heavy hit my un-armored chest, and I hoped nothing was broken. My head hit the ground, and everything started spinning.

"Gods, Nico." I said, curling into a ball.

"I'm not falling for that." He said, and I heard the stygian iron sword slice through the air.

"Nico, I'm not kidding." I said, tears starting to build up behind my tightly closed eyelids.

"I'm sure." He chuckled dryly, and I struggled to sit up.

"Ah!" I screamed, I had tried to open my eyes but the mid-day light in the arena had forced them closed again.

"Hey, are you okay?" Nico rested a hand on my shoulder, kneeling down next to me.

I forced myself to stand, my rage making it easier to ignore the shooting pains all over my body.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said, just as my knees gave out. Nico caught me before I had hit the ground, and carried my limp body into his cabin.

"Why aren't you taking me to the infirmary?" I asked, trying to get up off of the bed Nico had set me on.

He made me sit back down and handed me a square of ambrosia. "Because you would kill me if I just passed you off to someone else. That and you have a bit of a peeve when it comes to people seeing you in pain."

"Yeah, well." I said, nibbling on my ambrosia square. I felt like my body was being poked all over with little needles, and I laid down. The affect of the godly food was almost instantaneous. I felt my eyes drifting closed, and the scent coming up from the bed I was lying on seemed to be making it worse.

"Nico," I said. I'm pretty sure that my words were slurring. "Why can't I stay awake?" I struggled against the pull, but nothing was going to stop my mind from drifting.

"I had the Hecate and Hypnos campers put a spell on it." He said, brushing my bangs out of my eyes. He was smiling, and somewhere in the back of my foggy mind, I thought about how adorable his smile was.

"It keeps the nightmares at bay." He looked down at me, and slowly it crept into my mind that I was in Nico's bed.

"Nico," My voice was muffled by the sheets, but he heard me. "Thanks."

Right before I drifted off completely, I saw Nico slip out of the cabin.


	11. Quests and Automatons

**It's two a.m. where I live, so I guess today's post is a little late. :P**

**Just a quick little side note! In this story, Percy doesn't have the Curse of Achilles. Just thought I would point that out. :)**

I woke with a start, looking around myself in a panic. The late afternoon sunlight steaming through the window was shinning in my eyes. I couldn't quite put my finger on where I was.

I squinted, and I was the jewel covered fireplace. Nico's cabin_._

The events from earlier that day rushing back to me.

Some one quickly opened and closed the door, clearly not caring if they made too much noise.

Nico smiled, his eyes sparkling. Something was off.

"Well, nice to see you up." He said, flopping down on one of the spare bunks across from me. I'd never seen him act like that. All happy and smiley. It was honestly disturbing.

"Nico," I asked, sitting up. "Are you alright?"

"What, oh yeah." He started twitching. I carefully swung my legs over the side of the bed. They were almost too short to reach all the way to the ground.

"I'm peachy." Nico said, staring blankly into space. "And how are you today, Miss Camilla?"

I looked at him, trying to both contain my laughter and figure out some way to get out of the cabin. I had a feeling that Creepo-Nico wasn't going to let me leave.

"I'm, you know…good." I said, dragging out the last word. I was still frantically searching for an out when the door burst open. Nico walked in, dragging Leo by the ear.

I just sat there, looking at the smiley Nico, and then the dark Nico. It felt like a tennis match.

I was just about to get up when Percy and Annabeth came running in, with Marcus following close behind.

"What in Hades is Cam doing in your cabin?! In your bed?!" Marcus bellowed, grabbing Nico by the neck of his shirt. Leo looked like he was about to start crying. When Marcus had grabbed Nico, he hadn't let go of his ear, and Leo was being jerked around.

Percy looked at me, then at Nico and Marcus, then at Annabeth. I wanted to scream at everybody to shut it.

"Camilla, did Nico touch you?" Marcus said, his eyes smoldering.

I just crossed my arms. It wasn't so much that I didn't like him protecting me, but this was a bit excessive.

"Marcus." I snapped, my voice sharp. Everyone looked at me. "Everyone is going to sit down somewhere. Someone is going to tell me why there are two Nico's. No one is going to ask me or Nico One over there what happened. And for Gods sake Nico, let go of Leo. 'Kay?

Much to my surprise, everybody took a seat. I pointed at Leo.

"What did you do this time?" I asked him.

"Well, um, I, um…" He ran a hand through his hair nervously. "I made a Nico automaton, and it sort of went off on its own."

I looked over at the twitching 'Nico'. I shuddered. If Leo could make one of Nico, who else could he make one of?

"Nico, how did you even know about that?" I said, turning to look at him.

"It's kind of hard to ignore it when you see yourself walking around camp." He said, glaring at Leo.

"Alright." I clapped my hands. "Leo, I want it dismantled, along with every other camper automaton you have ever made. And yes!" I yelled at him, cutting off his next question. "That includes the prototypes."

He sighed and shuffled out of the cabin, Auto-Nico in tow.

Marcus was glaring at Nico. I looked over at Annabeth, and she had a sympathetic expression. I tried not to laugh as I remembered how a couple months ago Annabeth's brother had caught her and Percy. Safe to say, Percy had been in the infirmary for a while.

"What happened?" Asked Marcus, and I could tell that he was infuriated.

"Nothing happened." Nico said, folding his arms.

Percy glanced at me, and I nodded. He seemed to get the message.

If he had done something, I would have taken care of it already.

"Come on, buddy." Percy grabbed Marcus.

Annabeth whispered to me, "You alright here Cam?" I nodded.

"You need to cool off. Go to the arena, and _do not_ come back here." Annabeth shoved him out the door. She smiled at me, and then pushed an objecting Percy out too.

I spun on my heel, flopped down into the plush couch, and tucked my feet beneath me. I wanted to ask Nico a thousand and one questions, but I knew that I shouldn't. I wanted to ask him why he had been so caring when he had pushed me away such a short time before. I wanted to shout at him, and tell him that he was the one being stupid. I couldn't do that though, because he _wasn't_ the one being stupid.

I pressed my fingers to my temples, wishing again that the sun wasn't coming so harshly through the window.

"Cam." Nico said, sounding somber. "I really want to talk to you about something."

"What?" I said, regretting my obnoxious tone the second the word had left my mouth.

He was unfazed, saying. "I went to go see Rachel. She had some…news."

He held up a piece of old looking paper.

He unfolded it and read aloud.

"_A daughter of dawn ushers in a new morning,_

_The goddess of love gave to all a fair warning._

_The touch of a brother to sooth all your ails,_

_When all others have forsaken your cursed wails_

_For sinners and saints must all fall,_

_If the dark before the dawn does not save them all."_

He sighed, and I really wished he hadn't. Whenever Nico sighed, I knew I should batten down the hatches.

"You're dawn's daughter." He said, shocking me with the softness of his voice. "I really wish that I could, but there's nothing I can do to stop this quest."

"You're forgetting something, Ghost Boy." I said, the full meaning of the verses sinking in. "Nico, there's no one else who could be _the dark before the dawn. _I'm not sure about the other camper, but I know that you, at least, will be with me."

"I thought you were mad at me." He said, looking down.

"I am." I said, chuckling a little. "To be honest, I think I'm always a little mad at you. I'm starting to wonder if that's even a bad thing."

Nico's hazel eyes found my blue ones, and my heart stopped. He carefully walked across the room, coming to sit next to me. I un-tucked my feet and curled up in his lap. I rested my head on his shoulder, and I could hear his heart beat quicken.

"Cam." Nico said my name again, but it sounded different this time, more endearing.

I looked up, and suddenly wished that I hadn't. I didn't realize how close we really were. I could see the different colored flecks in his eyes, making my heart leap again.

I tensed a little as Nico leaned forward. I had never been kissed before, and I really, _really _didn't want this to end awkwardly.

Nico just slipped his hand behind my neck, pulling my lips to his. My eyes drifted closed, and I sighed. A slight smile formed on my lips, and I kissed him back.

Nico pulled away first, and I looked bashfully up at him through my eyelashes. He had a dazed look on his face, and I smiled. I liked having that affect on him.

I rested my head on his shoulder again. I felt his heart beat slowing down to a normal rate.

"Cam," Nico put two fingers under my chin, silently asking me to look at him. "We're going to get through this, okay?"

I felt like my heart was trying to crawl out of my chest, so I just nodded.

He kissed me again, gently.

That was the exact moment Travis and Conner walked in.


	12. Big Brothers and Cold Shoulders

**A.N. I'm sorry if this chapter isn't very good, I have writers block. :P I needed to get through this scene though, so that I could move on into more exciting things... :P **

**Please review! I really want to know how I'm doing! :)**

After Conner and Travis dragged us into the Big House, they made me and Nico sit and wait when they went to get Chiron. I looked around the room, hoping for some strange reason that Mr. D. was involved in whatever was about to happen.

I heard someone open the back door, and I saw Annabeth, Percy, and Marcus. Crap.

"Well." Marcus said, crossing his arms and glaring at Nico.

"Shove it Marc." I said, and he shifted his gaze to me, shocked. "I'm not telling the story twice, so I recommend that you stick around till Chiron gets here."

His mouth dropped open, and he closed it again quickly. I normally didn't say thing like that to him. To people like Clarisse, yeah, all the time, but never to Marcus.

"Well," Said Mr. D. as he walked down the stairs. "As much as I would love to see how your lovely little fight will end, I have things to attend to. So get on with it."

Chiron rolled in behind Mr. D. and positioned himself in front of me and Nico on the couch.

"What happened?" He asked, his eyes a little worried. I really hated the look that he was giving me. He knew that me and Nico hadn't done anything.

"I was ticked off at Nico. We ended up in a sparring match, and I got hurt. He carried me back to his cabin, because he knew that I wouldn't want to be taken back to the infirmary. He gave me some ambrosia and I passed out. That's _all._" I shot the Stoll twins and Marcus I-told-you-so looks, wishing that they would have just trusted me in the first place.

I wasn't stupid. I knew Marcus had sent Conner and Travis to come and check on me and Nico.

"What happened after that?" Chiron asked, ignoring Travis' sputtering.

"I woke up later on in the afternoon. Leo's Nico automaton came in, and Nico showed up with Percy, Annabeth, and Marcus."

"Marcus wigged out when he saw that I was asleep in Nico's bed." I glared at Marcus for dramatic effect. "He started yelling, and I told everyone to sit down."

I took a deep breath, then continued. "Leo told me how he had made the automaton, and that it had gone off on its own. I made him take it back to his workshop and dismantle it, along with any other camper automatons."

"Annabeth grabbed Percy and Marcus, and told Marcus to go cool off. He apparently found the twins on his way to cool off, and sent them back to check on Nico and me." I raised my eyebrows and turned to Marcus. He was about as red in the face as I was. _Good_, I thought.

Nico pulled the prophecy out of his pocket, looking at me. I nodded, knowing that it would have to be shared with Chiron if we wanted answers.

"Somewhere in between their over-protective outbursts, Nico had time to tell me about a prophecy."

He handed me the slip of paper, and I read it aloud.

"_A daughter of dawn ushers in a new morning,_

_The goddess of love gave to all a fair warning._

_The touch of a brother to sooth all your ails,_

_When all others have forsaken your cursed wails_

_For sinners and saints must all fall,_

_If the dark before the dawn does not save them all."_

I looked at Chiron, and his brow was creased. "This was obviously intended for you," He said, looking onto my eyes.

"Nico, you are more than likely the third verse." Chiron looked over at Nico, who nodded and smiled at me. Just knowing that he would be with me through this made me feel better.

"Who would the second verse be about?" Percy asked, looking from Annabeth to Chiron.

"Apollo." Said Annabeth, and Chiron nodded. "The prophecy was meant for you Cam, and the day is the brother of the dawn."

"I know which camper I need to take with us." Nico said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "It's Moira."I sighed, but he continued. "I saw when your soul connected with hers."

"What?" I asked. No one was supposed to be able to see that.

"I can see when people's life forces are fading, but I can also see when they're connecting." He looked at me sheepishly. He opened his mouth to say more, but then closed it again.

"So, we have to take Moira. That's great. She only thinks I'm a glowing freak. Yay." I muttered sarcastically.

"You're forgetting why we're really here." Said Travis. "We walked in on, on…I don't even want to say it out loud." He looked like an idiot, acting all dramatic.

"What did you walk in on?" Chiron asked. Even he looked mildly disturbed by Travis' behavior.

"We walked in on Nico kissing _our _baby sister." Conner said, or more like spat.

"_Your baby sister_?" I stood up, ready to rip his head off. "A: I'm _not_ your sister. B: I can decide for myself what I do. C: I can take care of myself. I don't need you three," I pointed at Marcus, Travis, and Conner. "To play big brother all the time."

"Yeah," Annabeth said. "You guys really need to back off. She's not the scared little fourteen year old who showed up here looking for help. It's really sweet for you to look out for her, but this is too much."

I looked at her, trying to convey my gratitude. If there was anyone at camp that scared the three boys, it was Annabeth.

"I think you three should leave. Camilla has a quest to prepare for." Chiron said kindly, his ancient eyes laughing.

"But-" Travis said as Percy grabbed him and pushed him out of the door.

"I really don't think-" Conner said.

"I know you don't really think, that's why you need to leave." Annabeth interrupted. He sulked out of the building.

"I'm not leaving." Marcus said, planting his feet.

"Yes you are!" Mandy laugh-yelled from outside. She peeked her head around the door.

'_Thank you'_ I mouthed, and she winked. She walked in and pushed the resisting Marc outside. Hephaestus campers were shockingly strong.

"I guess we had better go and find Moira," Nico said, pulling me off of the couch.

"Camilla." Annabeth said, smiling at me and Nico's intertwined fingers. At least she wasn't acting all weird about me and him. "You three will leave Saturday morning. You should see Rachel and find out where exactly you're going first, though."


	13. Capture the Flag and All That Jazz

**A.N. Sorry about the crumby couple of chapters guys. I like this one a little bit better than my more recent ones, but it's still not top notch. Please forgive me. :P**

**I'm starting Drivers Ed. tomorrow, and I don't know if I'll be able to update daily. I'm really sad about it, but there are somethings that ya just can't avoid. :P**

As I pounded on the glowing gold door of the Apollo cabin, all I could think about was how much I really didn't want to go anywhere at all with Moira. She had looked at me with so much fear when I was marked.

One of the older Apollo campers opened the door. "What can I help you with?" He said, ushering me in.

"I'm looking for Moira, is she here?" I asked, bouncing on my heels.

"Yeah… yeah, hang on." He walked across the cabin and stuck his head around a bend in the hallway. I hadn't realized that their cabin was so big.

"Moi!" He yelled, cupping his hand around his mouth. "Someone's here to see you!"

She practically flew around the corner, and she had a huge grin on her face.

"Hi!" Her voice held a laughing tone, and her blond hair was almost falling entirely out of her ponytail. "I've been wanting to apologize to you ever since, well, you know."

"Oh, um, that's okay. It was a little weird." I didn't really know if I had forgiven her, but at least she wasn't treating me like some sort of alien. "Is there somewhere we could talk? I have some news."

She looked over her shoulder at the boy who had answered the door, saying, "Can you give us a minute Carl?" She asked, smiling sweetly.

Nodding, he grabbed a bow and walked out. I smiled at Moira, trying to brace myself. I wasn't sure how she was going to react to going on a quest.

She sat down carefully on one of the bunks, moving an acoustic guitar off to the side. I sat down next to her, smiling.

"Nico and I," I faltered, not really sure where to start with the story. "We're going on a quest. It mentions me, Nico, and one other camper. Which happens to be an Apollo camper, and that Apollo camper is you."

She just looked at me, wide eyed. It had all sort of rushed out and I sighed. Suddenly, her face lit up.

"Really?" She said.

"'_The touch_ _of a brother to sooth all your ails, when all others have forsaken your cursed wails.' _That's the second line of the prophecy. Dawns brother is Day. You're a daughter of Apollo, and one of the best healers I've seen. It couldn't be anyone else. That, and Nico said he saw our 'souls connect'." It let myself trail off, hoping that the last sentence would freak her out.

"Wait, what?" Crap. "He saw our souls connect? Is that even possible? How is that possible?" She looked at me expectantly, but she didn't look horrified.

"Nico's whole 'Ghost King' thing lets him see when things happen to people's spirits. Like the way he can see when someone is dying. The reason it's possible is because my mom is Eos, the former goddess of dawn. The way Chiron explained it, children of the dawn are born help people. Their souls connect with the souls of the people whose lives will be affected."

"Oh, wow. That sounds like a huge responsibility, I mean, knowing that you're tied to people and you don't even know who they are." She looked at me, a serene expression on her face. "Of course I'll go on the quest."

* * *

I was standing with the rest of the campers, waiting for the horn to blow. Nico was off to my left somewhere, but I knew he wouldn't be far behind once we got moving.

Marcus came up beside me, and I recoiled. Marcus may have been like family, but even family has reasonable limits as far as same-day forgiveness goes.

"Cam…" I could hear in his voice how sorry he was, but I would look at him. "Cam, please. You know we were only doing what we thought was best."

"Exactly," I snapped. "You did what you _thought_ was best. Not what you knew would be best for me. Not what you knew would make me happy. You did what you wanted, and trust me, I get it. I might have done the same thing, but I wouldn't have treated you like a child."

I turned to him, and saw a tear in his eye. "Does he really make you that happy? You've only known him for three days." He smiled, and I felt my fury dampen a little.

"I know you. You fell in love with Mandy after two." I said, recalling his dreamy gazes, his unnecessary trips to the forge.

"Can we please just forget that I'm an idiot and stop fighting?" He asked, smiling at me sadly. That was the nice thing about Marc, he didn't dwell.

"Forget that you're an idiot? No. Getting along again? Yes." I said as I hugged him. "Be safe out there, okay?" I hit him hard in the shoulder, knowing that he needed to see that I wasn't nuts. Somehow me hitting him had turned into, _don't worry, I'll live._

"You too!" He yelled over his shoulder.

I breathed a sigh of relief, but it didn't last long. Travis popped up beside me, and Conner wasn't far behind. I stared at them coldly.

"Do you need something?" I asked, crossing my arms over my armored chest. The steel arms of my armor moved with me, and I felt safe. The plating Leo had installed was genius, how if folded and unfolded. It was never restricting. Unlike my former brothers.

"We wanted to say we were sorry." Travis ran a hand through his hair, trying to conceal his blush.

"You've just been such a sis to us, we couldn't bear the thought of, I don't know, giving you up." Conner looked at me bashfully, which for a Hermes kid is like code for '_forgive me or be pranked_'.

"Ugh." I said, acting indifferent. "All is forgiven my loyal subjects. Do not defy your queen again." I winked, and they laughed. I gave them each a quick hug. I sort of missed living with the idiot brothers.

"Be careful." Conner said, gripping both my shoulders.

"And don't eat anything if you don't know what it is." Travis said with mock seriousness.

"Alright." I sighed, giving an overly dramatized eye-roll.

They both seemed satisfied, and they wandered off to check on newer campers.

"All good?" Annabeth asked me, walking up with Percy.

"They apologized for being idiots, so yeah." I smiled as I noticed Percy's fingers entwined with Annabeth's.

"Good." Said Piper, walking up behind Annabeth. She was wearing traditional Greek-style armor, he dagger strapped tightly to her side.

"Why is everyone suddenly talking to me? Do you guys really think that I'm going to die on my quest? Have a little faith." I said jokingly.

"They don't think you're going to die, they think you're going to stop talking to them." Said Nico, walking up and putting an arm around my shoulders.

"Why?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"You've got a boyfriend, and Annabeth barely said two words to me when she was first dating Percy." Piper said teasingly.

I looked at Percy and Annabeth, and they were both suddenly interested in their shoes.

"I'm not going to bail on you guys." I said, sliding out from under Nico's arm. "If anything, I'll hang out with you more." I pointed at Piper, and she smiled.

Annabeth started dragging Percy towards the front, she said that she wanted to make sure everything was in order.

"I need to go find Leo. Poor guys probably tangled up in his armor somewhere." Piper rolled her eyes.

"Hey Pipes?" I said, and she turned. "Be nice to him, okay?" She looked lost for a second, but then the full meaning of my words sunk in.

"Oh, really? Leo?" She looked a little happier as she went off to find him.

"What was that?" Nico laughed when Piper was out of earshot.

"Girl-code." I said, checking my sword belt.

"So, 'be nice' means?" He asked, looking more confused than Percy did most of the time.

"It means, at least this time it meant, 'he likes you, so let him down easy or get together with him already'."

"All that from 'be nice'? Geez." Nico said, trying to pull me close to him.

"No." I said, moving away. I was in battle mode, which meant that no one should try and touch me.

"Annabeth kisses Percy for luck." He said, smiling.

"You should just date her then, because you're not getting one out of me." I tried in vain to reach the leather cord that tightened my armor, but the way Leo had designed it made it almost impossible to hit, and even harder to reach.

"Hold still." He said, pulling the string.

"Thanks," I said after he had finished. It was almost too tight to breath, which meant that it was perfect.

"Will you at least give me a hug?" Nico asked from behind me.

"Nope." I said, still ready for a fight.

I felt myself being lifted up off of the ground. Nico spun me so that I was looking right at him.

"No." I said again.

All I got in return was a smirk, and Nico chuckled a little. I was starting to waver.

Just then, the horn blew.

"Let the games begin." I said, pushing Nico and running headlong into the dark forest.


	14. Glowing Swords and Battle Wounds

**A.N. Another crap-tastic chapter, but I'm trying to move the story along. I really want to get to the point where they're on their quest. :P**

**Thanks to everyone who has followed, favorited, and commented. :)**

"Ready?" Nico asked, taking my hand. We had reached the stream, and once we crossed it there would be nothing left to protect us. We would be on 'enemy grounds', which meant that it was every man for himself.

"Yup." I said. He took a couple steps back, then ran at a tree. I felt a damp chill, and a shiver went up and down my spine. I kept hearing noises, and I squeezed Nico's hand a little tighter.

"Gods, Nico!" I whispered as we came out on the other side of the stream. "Next time, give me a little warning."

He smiled and started walking deeper into the forest. It was never hard to find the flag when the Ares cabin was in possession, they were a little cocky.

"So," Nico said after about five minutes of wandering. I could hear a fight going on somewhere behind us, and I knew we needed to hustle.

"Do we really have time for this?" I asked, a little agitated. Annabeth was counting on us to come through.

"All I was going to ask is how you want to get to the flag. Do you want to go after the guards, or do you want to grab the flag and make a run for it?" He said, looking at me.

"You should grab the flag. You can shadow travel and get to the stream faster than I can. Besides, I think I can handle a few over confident campers." I smiled, knowing that he had wanted me to let him fight.

"Alright." He said, picking up his pace a little.

"Hey." I whispered a few minutes later, ducking down. In a clearing about fifty yards ahead, the flag was strung up in a tree.

"Crap." Nico whispered, kneeling down next to me. "Are you sure you don't want to go after that flag?"

"Nope, that's your job." I smiled and nudged him. I started to slowly get closer to the clearing, wishing that Grant, one of the Ares kids, wasn't one of the guards. He had been there when I had beat Clarisse. He was still holding a grudge.

I glanced at Nico and held up three fingers.

_Three_, I mouthed, ticking down a finger.

_Two,_ another finger down.

Instead of mouthing one, I leaned in and gave Nico a quick peck on the lips. He didn't have time to react before I ran out into the clearing.

"Hey Grant, how've you been?" I asked mockingly as I charged, pulling out my sword. I saw Nico off to my right as he ran up to the tree and started climbing.

"Guys look," Grant said, and the other two guards formed a circle around me. "We have a new toy."

My temper flared, but I knew better than to egg them on. At least not yet.

"Hey Terrance," I said to the blonde guy to my left. "How's that little crush you've had on Drew for the past year been working out?"

I got the exact reaction I wanted, and he charged at me. I dodged, and he almost ran Grant through. They both ended up in a heap on the ground, leaving me to deal with the third camper.

"Hey there Moi." I said, smiling.

"Aww, hi." She looked at me evilly.

"You forgot to mention that Apollo had sided with Ares." I said as we circled each other.

"Yeah, it just slipped my mind." She grinned.

I ran at her, slashing my sword at her stomach. She deflected my blade easily, but her movement had left her right shoulder defenseless. I struck her in the shoulder with the butt of my sword, and looked around for Nico. I saw a ripple in the shadow of a large tree, and I knew he was on his way back to the stream.

"Sorry about that Moi." I said, and I really was sorry.

"It's cool," She said, but there was something off. I felt a change in the air. I spun around and found Clarisse right behind me, her electric spear inches away from my neck.

"Back for a rematch?" I asked her, slowly moving backwards.

"I guess you could call it that, but this time it's a fair fight." She snarled, and raised her spear.

I tried not to scream in pain as she brought the tip down into my shoulder.

"How did you know about that?" I asked, pulling my arms tight around me. She had hit one of the two weak spots in my armor.

"Leo bends pretty easy when you give him a reason to." She said, and I shuddered. What in Hades name had she done to Leo?

"Clarisse," I heard Moira asked, she sounded scared. "What are you doing? I knew you wanted a fight with her, but you said a simple rematch. This has gone too far."

"Shut up," Clarisse said, turning her attention to Moi. "This isn't your fight."

"It is now." Moira said, drawing her shoulders back and raising her sword. "You lied to me, and to the other campers. You hurt someone I care about. Just remember when this is over, Clarisse." She sounded venomous. "You made this my fight."

She charged, and I haven't seen anything quite as amazing since then. Her sword started glowing, and her movements were so fast that I just sat there, awestruck.

It only took her a minute to bring Clarisse to her knees. "Do anything like this again," She said calmly. "And I'll report tell the Stoll's."

She walked over to me, wrapping an arm around me. We stumbled through the woods for a little while, but we knew that we wouldn't be able to reach the stream anytime soon. I was starting to worry about the amount of blood seeping from my shoulder.

Somewhere in the distance, a horn sounded. I smiled, and hoped that it was because Nico had succeeded.

"What you did back there," I said, looking over at Moira. "That was awesome. How come you've never told anyone?"

"It's only happened once before tonight, and I really didn't want to draw attention to myself. Why make myself more of a target for people like Clarisse, you know?" She said, shrugging a little. It didn't really work with me on her arm.

"She knows about it now." I said, smiling.

"Ha, yeah."

There was a noise behind us, and we both froze. We turned slowly, trying not to make too much noise. A shadow rippled, and Nico stumbled onto the path.

"Gods Nico!" Moira yelled. "You can't freak people out like that."

"I was looking for Cam." He said. "Our side won, they're going to celebrate." He took one look at me, and his face fell. "What happened?"

"Nothing, it's just a little blood." I said, wishing that it didn't burn so intensely. There had been so much adrenaline pumping through me that I hadn't noticed until Nico brought it up.

"Moira, will you be okay out here?" Nico asked, looking from her to me.

"I think so," She said. "How far are we from the stream?"

"Not far. Percy and Lou Ellen should still be there with Chiron. One of the Hecate campers went a little crazy and turned some kid into a fish." He cringed a little, and I smiled.

"Yeah, just get her back to the Big House. I'll be there as soon as I can." She said, passing me to Nico and running off.

"Oh, Gods." Nico sighed, looked at my shoulder. "I knew I should have had you go after the flag."

"It was my idea, remember?" I said weakly.

"But it was my fault. I should have seen what was about to happen." He started fumbling with the knot in the back of my armor. I felt it loosen a little, and I took a deep breath.

"If you blame yourself for this Nico, than you're an idiot." I said, trying not to scream as I shrugged my armor off. It was designed like a backwards jacket, so that I could just slip it off, but Gods it hurts to take off when you have a gash in your shoulder.

I let it fall in the ground, not even looking to see if it was beyond repair. I turned and looked at Nico.

"I can't not blame myself for this." He said, looking me in the eyes. He gingerly reached out and touched my shoulder.

I took a step forward, wrapping my arms around his waist. It hurt so badly, but I couldn't just watch him suffer.

"Will you take me to the infirmary?" I mumbled.

He nodded and picked me up. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. He jogged into a tree, and after a few seconds of bone chilling cold and terrifying noises, we were standing on the front porch of the Big House.

He carried me inside, and up the stairs into the infirmary. He started rummaging around for some nectar or ambrosia.

I heard the front door open and close, and a second later Moira was at the door.

"Hey Nico," She said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You need to wait downstairs."

He narrowed his eyes, but left quietly.

"Thanks." I said, settling into my pillow.

"This is going to sting." She said, looking at my shoulder.

"Are you going to pour the nectar over it?" I asked, cringing.

"It's the fastest way to get it clean. Do you want me to go the more traditional route?" She asked.

"No," I said, gritting my teeth. "Just get it over with."

She rested a hand firmly on my uninjured shoulder, pinning me down. She didn't look at me as she picked up the bottle.

The last thing I heard before the pain blocked off all of my senses was Moira softly saying how sorry she was.


	15. Confused Boyfriends and Quest Packin'

**A.N This is a chapter made up entirely of fluff. I have drivers ed, and I just haven't been doing tons of writing. Fluffy stuff is easiest for me to write, so I write a fluff chapter. :P**

**I want to thank Fae, who commented a couple days ago. If you're reading this, your comment made me smile. :) **

**Now, onto ze fluffiezzz! **

"Hey," Nico said, rubbing his eyes. "I talked to Rachel last night. We have to start our quest in Wisconsin. She couldn't get a clear reading on why, though."

"When are we leaving?" I asked, swinging my legs off of the bed and hoping down to the floor.

"A few hours. Almost everything is packed. Leo worked all night to repair your armor, he brought it to my cabin this morning." He looked at my blood splattered t-shirt and jeans, cringing.

"Nico, if you're going to be such a girl when I get hurt I'm leaving you here." I said, planting my feet firmly and putting my hands on my hips.

He laughed, shaking his head. "It's not me being a girl, it's that." He pointed at my shoulder, and I gasped.

"Eww…" I said, looking down at the discolored flesh. "It's just so gross looking." I reached up to poke it, but Nico grabbed my arm.

"Why would you do that?" He asked, sounding incredulous.

"I want to see if it hurts. Got a better way of doing that, Ghost Boy?" I said, pushing away his hand. I pressed my finger gently on my skin, and felt nothing.

"See?" I said, my voice flat. "Now, if you will excuse me." I gestured to the door, but Nico just folded me in his arms.

"Let go." I said, my heart pounding. The last time we had been this close had ended in eternal embarrassment.

"Mmm, no." He said, smirking.

"Mmm, yes." I said, twisting in his arms. His nearness was affecting my head, making clear thinking almost impossible. "Nico, I have to pack." I said, trying to get away again.

"Annabeth and Piper are doing your packing. They said that they didn't want you to strain your shoulder." He grinned.

"I really should go help them…" I said, not really wanting to.

"Yeah, you _should_." He said mischievously.

"Yup." I said, popping the _p_ sound. I was incredibly aware of Nico's hands on my waist, and the warm feeling spreading across my whole body.

Nico started to move closer, pulling me to him.

Our lips had just started to touch when someone started pounding on the door. Nico pressed his lips together, giving me puppy-dog eyes. I shoved his shoulder and went to answer the door.

Percy walked in. He looked from me to Nico, then back at me again. He arched an eyebrow, noticing my blush.

"Annabeth just wanted me to tell Cam that her bags are down at the Athena cabin. They would have kept it at the Aphrodite cabin, but some of them are still multi-colored, so…" He trailed off, slowly back towards the door. "I'm just gonna leave," He said, closing the door behind him.

I started laughing, and sat down on the edge of the cot.

"Percy's face…" I said, trying to control my breathing.

"Priceless." Nico said, chuckling a little.

I glanced up at him through my eyelashes. He sat down next to me, and I felt a little awkward. I rubbed the back of neck with one hand, a habit I had pick up from Nico.

He grabbed my nervous fingers and I turned, facing him.

"So, about that packing." He said, his eyes bright.

"Looks like I don't have to help out after all." I said, hoping up. He looked confused. "I still need to see Annabeth though." It was my turn to smirk. He followed me to the door and, right before I opened it I spun around. We were only an inch apart, and I saw his cheeks go slightly pink.

He smiled, and leaned in a little closer. Right then, I yanked the door open. I sprinted down the stairs and spun to look up at an adorably confused Nico.

I grinned at him, and walked out the front door.

-Line Break-

"You did what?!" Piper said, her mouth hanging open.

"I left him at the top of the stairs. He looked so cute, with his eyebrows all scrunched up like that." I giggled, and Piper just shook her head.

"I don't think I'll ever find another girl willing to leave their boyfriend at the top of the stairs like that. He was about to kiss you!" She just shook her head again. "Annabeth, would you do that to Percy?"

"Yeah, Pipes, I think I would." She looked at me, giving a mock bow. "I salute you, Camilla."

I just laughed, my heart beating a little faster. "I really did want to kiss him, though." I said, still smiling.

"That's the best part." Annabeth said, grabbing a few different measuring tools off of one of the work-benches and tossing them into her backpack. "Sometimes it's worth giving it up to see them all like, 'wait, what just happened?'." She deepened her voice as she mimicked her boyfriend.

There was a knock on the door, and Piper fake-glared at both of us.

"I'd bet anything that that's one of you guys' boyfriends." She stomped over to the door. "Oh, hi there _Nico…" _She drew out his name, and Annabeth laughed.

"Subtle." She said to Piper, her voice monotone.

Nico walked in, looking like he really didn't want to come inside.

"Hi Nico." I said casually, smiling at him. He just walked over to me and picked me up. He tossed me over his shoulder, and I laughed.

Annabeth and Piper were in fits of laughter on the floor. Piper tried to say something along the lines of 'I told you so', but she couldn't get enough air. Nico walked out of the cabin, and I thought he was going to set me down. He just kept walking towards the pier.

"Alright Nicky," I said, craning to see how long I had before he reached the end of the dock. "Put me down please?"

"Mmm, no." He said. I sighed and rested my elbows on his back, propping my chin in the palms of my hands.

As he tried to toss me in, I grabbed him in a huge hug. He stumbled, and we both went over the railing into the sun warmed ocean.

When we had both resurfaced, I bopped him in the back of the head. He grabbed my waist, and my breath caught in my throat.

"We're going to sink." I said mater-of-factly, crossing my arms.

He leaned in, closer and closer. I felt his lips brush mine, and I felt like sparks were dancing across my skin.

I pulled away, smiling. His forehead was resting against mine, and he was grinning.

"I'll never understand you…" He whispered. I must have looked confused, because he laughed and continued. "I've never had someone who could get in my head as easily as you can. No one else has ever taken the time to listen. Somehow, you have ended up being the one thing that is my biggest weakness."

I looked down at the waves, slightly embarrassed. He let go of my waist and put two fingers under my chin.

"And I love every second of it." He kissed me again, incredibly gentle. I kissed him back, my smile growing with ever second.

"Uhh, guys!" I heard Leo yell.

"Really?" Muttered Nico.

"What is it?" I yelled, loud enough for Leo to hear.

"It's Rachel! She says that there's something you three need to talk about!" I gave him a thumbs up, and he ran off.

"Well," I said, looking at Nico.

"I know…" He said as we started our swim back to shore.


	16. Worried Glances and A Last Look Back

**I know this chapter is SO SO SO SO SO SOOO short, but it's all I could manage to write. I seriously think that Drivers Ed. is killing my creativity. :P Anywho, the weekend is coming up (duh), so you guys will probably get longer chappies then. :) **

**Thanks SO much to everyone who has reviewed and all that jazz, you're awesome-sauce! :D**

I looked up at Nico, and his eyes reflected the same cautious shadow that I'm sure he saw in mine. Rachel wouldn't want to talk to us if she wasn't worried sick about something.

I didn't bother changing out of my salt water soaked clothes, so I stood in the living room of the Big House, dripping wet. Rachel smiled when she saw me and Nico's fingers laced together.

"I knew it." She said matter of factly, folding her arms and grinning at me.

Instead of blushing and sitting down, Nico put an arm around my waist. Rachel's grin grew even wider, and I rolled my eyes.

"You said you wanted to talk to us." I said, trying not to laugh. Rachel didn't stop smiling as she sat down on the plush leather couch.

"Yeah," She said, seemingly gaining control over her face again. "It's about your prophecy." Her eyes went dark. "You two are in for something big. I didn't get a clear view, but there's something out there. It wants Cam dead, and anyone who gets in its way is fair game. I've never felt anything so dark, or so powerful."

Her sorrowful eyes looked into mine, and I flinched inwardly.

"What do we need to do?" Asked Nico. The way his arm had tightened around me made me feel safe, but there was only so much he could do.

"It isn't something you can do together." Rachel said, her face twisted with tension and worry. "This is Camilla's fight. When that _thing_ shows up, she's going to have to deal with it on her own.

"I can tell you where to start, though." Rachel said, standing and wiping her hands on her jeans. "There's an abandoned house up in Gareth, Wisconsin. That's where you three will need to start."

"Do you think you can handle shadow traveling all three of us up there?" I asked Nico.

"Yeah, but we'll have to find somewhere to rest right after that. I almost passed out last time I tried something like that." He looked worried, and I pulled away from him. I walked over to Rachel, and stood in front of her.

"Rach, are you sure that we have to do this?" I asked, my eyes watering. She nodded and pulled me into a huge hug.

"It's going to be alright Cam, you'll see." She squeezed me tightly one last time, and then broke away. She leaned on close to my ear and whispered, "After all, you've got Ghost Boy."

I smiled, looking over my shoulder at Nico.

Afdsjkl;alksdfj;

"Ready?" Nico asked, and I smiled faintly.

"Last time you said that, I got a spear in the shoulder." I said, kicking at a loose tuft of grass.

"Last time you got a spear in the shoulder, it was my fault." Moira half smiled at me.

"And on that happy note." Nico said, draping an arm lazily over my shoulders and grabbing Moira's hand. "We're going to run strait at _that_ tree." He pointed at a large oak, casting an enormous shadow on the ground.

I looked back at camp one last time. This place was home, and for all I knew, I was never going to see it again.


	17. Mad Men and Back Stories

**A.N. This chappie isn't awesome-sauce, but it'll do for now. I really, truly appreciate everyone who has followed, faved, and reviewed. It takes my smile to new extremes. :DDD **

**Fea, you keep makin' me blush! Your comments are so sweet! No one has ever called me 'fabulous' before. :D Do you think you'll be posting anything on FanFic? Do tell...**

**Thanks to everyone for the continued support! It's really awesome to have the same people still commenting a week later. :) **

Moira had worked fast, her skilled fingers mending and healing my torn skin. She had seemed so unsure, and I understood. As I lay there that night in our make shift tent, my back pressed up against hers for warmth, I recalled what had happened that day.

"_I don't think I can do this."Moira said, her voice trembling. _

"_You'll be fine." I said, patting her shoulder. "All you have to do is go and knock. Me and Nico are right here."_

_Nico tried his best at a reassuring smile, but just sort of grimaced. Moira nodded, and walked up the molding wooden stairs. She pounded forcefully on the front door, and it flew open. _

"_Hello, lovely." A voice said, and a leather cord snapped out, grabbing Moira. _

_I looked at Nico, and raced up the steps. Not bothering with the handle, I kicked the door in._

"_Moira!"I screamed, racing down the dank hallway. I heard a muffled cry from the door to my right, and I forced it open. _

_Moira was standing there, her face pale. _

"_It…Its…I…" She muttered to herself incoherently. _

"_Yes, I am quite awe-inspiring, am I not?" Asked to voice, and something flew at my head. I ducked, but Nico wasn't as lucky. He was knocked back into the hallway by the impact, and I flung Moira out after him. I shoved him into her arms, and she nodded slightly. _

_Another object flew out of the room, hitting me in the forehead. I fell to the floor, stars exploding in my eyes. _

_I blinked hard, trying to disperse the blurriness. I pushed Moira behind me, towards the door. She stumbled, and I pulled out my sword. It felt too heavy, and I could barely lift it. _

_ "Leave her alone." I said, gritting my teeth. "Or I swear I'll kill you." _

_ "Please," It said, its voice melodious. "You can't kill what you can't see. Didn't your daddy ever teach you that?" A cold, dry laugh came from off to my right. I spun, raising my blade. _

_ "What?" I asked, taunting. "Too afraid to come out and fight me?" I swiped at the blood dripping down into my eye from the gash on my forehead. _

_ "Well, my dear child." It said, this time from my left. "I'm terribly sorry to say I am." I could hear the wicked grin, feel the gaze sweeping over my slight frame. _

_ "Oh," I was trembling with rage. "You're supposed to be this horror inspiring creature, and you're afraid." My voice was dripping with sarcasm. _

_ "Not of you dearie." It chuckled again, at the top of the dilapidated stairs. "There's someone else out there, and they say that you're theirs. I don't argue with my superiors." _

_ "Fine," I spat, stalling. Moira had drug Nico within ten feet of the door. I just needed another minute. "So who is this 'superior'?"_

_ "Darling." It purred, I could feel it standing next to me. It's cold fingers traced my jaw line. "I can't tell you that. It ruins the fun." It grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at it. _

_ Its face was horrific, scratched and scarred. Its eyes were different colors, one a pale blue, the other a purple toned red. His nose looked like it had been burned off at the end, leaving a stub. But the worst part was the mouth. It really wasn't a mouth at all, just pale skin stretched too thin over rows of blackened teeth. I retched, the stench coming from it was over whelming. It was like rotten flesh, and it was coming from its mouth. _

_ "What are you?" I asked, steeling myself._

_ It chuckled, and another wave of the carnivorous odor washed over me. My nose burned, but I didn't look away. _

_ "I suppose I can tell you that." It swung an old fashioned cane up and around its head. _

"_Well you see," It started, "My lovely mother was a Fury, and good ol' dad was a Kobalos." Another sickening chuckle escaped its lips, making my flesh crawl. "And oh, I don't know, a couple thousand years ago they had a beautiful baby boy. So beautiful, in fact, that the child was never allowed to be looked upon. For this child, mind you dearest, this child is me." He winked. I retched._

_I had only seen one batman movie, but I was pretty sure this guy had made it his life goal to be just like the Joker. His voice, his mannerisms. They all gave the impression of insanity. _

"_This baby was so mischievous that it tried to eat its own brother. Poor thing was so ugly, I don't know what mother was so upset about." He reached for my hand, kissing the knuckles. _

"_So, you inflict pain." I yanked my arm angrily away from him. "You trick people in here so that you can eat them." _

"_They really are doing me a favor." He said innocently. "You have no idea how long I can go without a full meal. Sure, the occasional dog wanders by," He looked mournfully at me. "But it's never as delectable as a lovely little red-head." _

_He traced my color-bone, and I heard Moira opening the door. _

"_Oh, crumbs." Said the creature standing in front of me. "Your little beau is slipping away. Too bad, I really was looking forward to a feast." _

_He twisted his fingers through my hair, forcing my head back. The soft skin of my neck was exposed, and he stared hungrily at me. _

"_Get…Away…From…Her." I felt its hold on my loosen, and I lifted my sword. Nico wrapped an arm around me, slowly backing away from the mad man in front of us. _

"_Sorry, loves." It said, flicking its fingers at Nico. He flew across the room, crashing into Moira and sending them both head first out the door. It slammed closed, and I felt my pulse in my fingertips. _

"_You can't kill me." I said, finally figuring out why it drew our little threesome in this ugly old Victorian style building. "Like you said, someone else wants my head on a platter. You can't touch me." _

"_Well," It said, leaning in close to my face. "It took you long enough." _

"_So what do you want?" I asked. Monsters like him didn't just play with you. They always wanted something. _

"_I want out." His smashed nose brushed my ear, and my blood curdled. _

"_I'm not letting you out of this building." I spat. He nuzzled my ear, and I almost vomited. _

"_Yes, you are." He cupped my elbow, lifting me off of my feet. "I've been here since 1841. I want out, you want out. I think we can," He chuckled, finding sadistic satisfaction in his humor. "Work this out." _

"_I'd stay here for the next thousand years before I let you out of here. I know what must have been done to bind you here, and I won't undo it." I said, gasping for breath. _

_He threw me across the room, away from the door. _

"_If you want to know where you need to go next, and how to save your piteous little life, you'll let me go." He put him hands on his hips, leaning down over me. _

"_I already know where to go." I said, bluffing. "But I bet you're lying." _

"_Please," He huffed. "You're heading to Connecticut. That's where the three fates are." He sounded like he wanted to stick his tongue out at me, but then he realized his mistake._

"_You know," I shoved myself away from the wall. "I've always wanted to meet the fates."_

_Using the last of my energy, I felt a pull in my gut. My whole arm exploded in white light, and I gently touched his face. He erupted in a shower of dust, his essence sinking back down to Tartarus. _

_I walked over to the door, flinging it open. Nico was just outside the door, and there were slash marks from where he had tried to hack it to pieces. _

"_Oh, Gods. Camilla." He pulled me to him, his arms around my neck. I wrapped my arms around him, trying not to cry. _

"_He tried to… to. He was just…I just." I quietly sobbed into his shirt. _

"_Babe, it's okay." He murmured into my hair. I squeezed my eyes shut, remembering the cold, damp touch. "I've got you. It's okay." He was rubbing small circles on the small of my back, and I shivered. _

"_Cam, I really need to get you fix up so we can get moving." Moira's tedious whisper cut through me. _

_I nodded, and Nico let me go. I felt cold without him. _

"Cam?" I jumped when I heard Moi's soft whisper. "I'm really sorry."

"It was our fault, Moi. There's nothing to be sorry for." I whispered back, rolling over and patting her back.

"I froze," she said, her voice cracking. "I could have gotten you or Nico killed."

"But you didn't." I said, my voice hushed. Nico was sitting a few feet outside the tent, keeping watch.

"But-"

"There's no but, Moi. Every single demi-god, ever, has messed up their first quest. I don't care about it, and Nico's over it too." I said, sitting up.

"I just…" She sobbed.

"It's alright." I said, reaching for the bottle of water. "Take a drink."

She took the water, drinking deeply.

"Go to sleep Moi, I'll take the second watch." I smiled, giving her a quick hug before slipping silently out of the tent.

Nico had sat down on top of a large boulder, one that had obviously been placed there by the city.

He looked adorable, to be honest. He was sleepy, his eyes drifting half closed every few seconds. He moved over a little when he saw my head pop up over the edge. I crossed my legs across his lap, curling into his chest.

"How is she?" He asked, wrapping his arm around me tightly.

"Not great, but she'll be alright." I said, running my finger along Nico's collarbone.

"How are you?" He said, looking down at me.

"I'm not perfect, but I'll manage." I said, folding my hands in my lap.

"Yeah, you'll manage." He said, and I felt his chuckle reverberate deep in his chest. I smiled.

"Yup." I said, mimicking my voice from earlier that day.

"Why did you leave me there?" He asked.

"Where? At the stairs?" He nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, you've always been nuts, but that…"

I hit him in the arm, laughing.

"I don't know," I said cautiously. "I wanted to see…" I trailed off, not wanting to finish.

"To see what?" Nico said, his voice filled with tenderness.

"I wanted to see if you would follow me. I wanted to know that I was worth following." I tried to stop myself, but the words were pouring out in torrents. "I never talk about my life before camp, and no one asks questions. Nobody would understand if I told them."

Nico pulled me tighter to him, and I laced my fingers through his.

"My dad wasn't a good man, he drank. He did all sorts of things, things that at such a young age I couldn't understand. I ran away from home when I was ten, and I met Kali when I was in Virginia. We were runaways for four years. She was like me, but she left me as soon as we got to camp. She used me, and threw me away. Just like everyone does at some point."

"Did your father ever…" Nico swallowed hard, but I shook my head.

"He wasn't aggressive, but he was manipulative. He would twist my head into knots, and I would just hide sometimes, afraid of making him angry. He hated me. My own father hated me…." I broke down, sobbing into Nico's chest. He just held me, rubbing my back.

"I'll never, _never_, left anyone do that to you again." I could hear his throat tighten. "No one should ever just disregard you. You're so beautiful. You drive me nuts, with all the little things that you do. I swear, you do them on purpose. The way you look at me, the way you fight too hard for nothing. The way you forgive everyone, no matter what they've done to you. You're so strong, so wonderful.

"Annabeth told me that you would be a handful, but I never expected anything as amazing as you are." He sighed, gently kissing me. My eyes drifted closed, my grief mingling with the sudden joy of his kiss.

"Wait." I said, pulling away and raising an eyebrow. "Annabeth said something about me? To you?"

"I've had my eye on you for a while." He said, blushing.

"So all the stuff Aphrodite told me about us…"

"Oh, so now Aphrodite is talking to you too? I thought she was using Piper as a messenger."

I laughed, the situation was too absurd.

"I think we've had more than a few beings involved in this." I said, resting a hind on Nico's neck.

"Yeah, but that doesn't change anything. At least, not for me anyways." He said, his eyes closed.

"Me either." I said, grinning. I kissed him, really kissed him. I felt his smile on my lips.

"Oh," Sighed Aphrodite. "I just knew you two would be perfect together."


	18. Goddesses and Fires

**A.N. This is more of a filler chapter, because I wanted to write a little bit of what happened in this scene through Nico's eyes. :P **

**I really enjoy writing from his P.o.V., mostly because it's fluffy goodness. I know Nico is getting to be a little (okay, a lot) out of character, but I really like him in this story. I'm really sorry (I actually am, not be sarcastic) to anyone who is more of a dark Nico fan… :P **

**Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing, following, and favoriting! **

**Now, onto the story! :D**

The way Cam jumped away from me when Aphrodite showed up left me feeling cold. Ever time her skin came in contact with mine, it was like fire. I smiled, looking over at her. Gods, she was amazing.

"Now Nico," Chided Aphrodite. "Don't get distracted. You two will have plenty of time for each other later." Her eyes sparkled, and most guys would have just sat there, entranced. I scowled, not particularly enjoying the fact that she made Cam nervous.

"Did you need something?" I asked, standing and jumping down off of our perch. "Or do you just enjoy making people squirm?"

"Mmm," She said, tapping her chin. "Both." Grinning wickedly, she flicked her fingers at Cam. She disappeared, but reaped next to me in a puff of pink dust.

"Great." Cam muttered under her breath. "I'm covered in _glitter_."

"Now," Aphrodite said, sitting down on a park bench. "You three have quite the quest ahead of you. And trust me, I know how romance can make a quest seem all the more…enticing." She looked me and Cam over, and I shuddered a little. I really, really didn't like the look in her eyes.

"No." I said firmly, wrapping a protective arm around Camilla. She looked at me, her eyes pleading. She didn't want to do this, but I didn't have a choice.

"No what?" She asked, her voice laced with false innocents.

"You're not allowed, in any way shape or form, to create drama between us. I've seen you do it before, and it's not going to happen here." I said, looking in her ever changing eyes.

"I really don't think you have a say in that, no do you?" She said sweetly.

"Yeah," I said, and I let go of Cam. I could feel the black fire dancing under my skin. "I do."

Aphrodite drew her eyebrows together, and I glared at her.

"Oh, poo." She pouted, sounding like a child. She looked at Cam, and I stepped between them.

"Nico…" She purred. She reached out and touched my forehead. I blacked out.


	19. Candy Tins Of Doom and Empty Rooms

Nico's limp body was next to me on the grass, and I just started at Aphrodite. She looked at me kindly, like she hadn't just knocked my boyfriend out and let him crash to the ground.

"Well, now that _he_ is out of the way." She said, nudging Nico with her toes. "We can have another little talk."

"Um, no. I um, I think I'm good." I said, unsure. I slowly crept backwards, my eyes never leaving the goddess. "I really should get some, you know, sleep." I said, distrustfully.

"Sit down." She sighed, gesturing towards the bench. I cautiously walked around her and sat. She rolled her eyes at me. I looked down at my toes shyly.

"Don't give me that." She said, sitting down next to me. "I told you he wouldn't be easy, but I did tell you he would be worth it. Was I right?" Her voice had laughter behind it, but she was still getting on my last nerve.

I groaned, pressing the heels of my hands to my eyes. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to like you."

"Sometimes I think no one really _likes _me." She said, resting a hand on my shoulder. "But I am necessary. I would have dissipated a long time ago if I wasn't."

"You said you wanted to talk to me about something?" I said, knowing she would leave sooner if she told me.

"Oh, yes." She said. She opened a handbag I hadn't noticed before, opening in carefully. "You'll need this." She handed me a small candy tin.

"Thanks…" I said, slowly turning it over. There wasn't anything special about it, and I looked at her quizzically.

She puffed up her cheeks a little, seemingly exasperated with me. "Open it." She said, miming the movement.

I popped the top off, holding it away from my face. I peeked over the edge of the small silver container, unsure.

"Really?" I asked, my voice filled with skepticism. She nodded, smiling. Her smile was terrifying. I looked back down at the dust filled container. I turned it, and the different colored bits reflected the moonlight.

"Anyone who touches that dust," She smirked conceitedly. "Is my new toy. They have _no_ control over their affections."

"So, it's a love potion." I said, carefully slipping the lid back on.

"In some way, yes. In others, no. It isn't the stereo-typical 'fall for the first person you see' type of potion. I control the situation. They love who I tell them to love." Her voice was silky smooth, like she wasn't telling me that this powder could destroy someone.

"How long will it last? If it gets on someone, I mean." I set the miniscule tin next to me.

"A day or so. Long enough to…" She trailed off, like she hadn't meant to start the last sentence.

"Who does it work on?" I asked, not even trying to get a strait forward answer out of her.

"_Anyone_." She said. A shiver ran up and down my spine, the way she had said it was malicious.

"Great." I said, looking distrustfully at this supposed 'potion'. "Anything else?"

"Yes, actually." The goddess said, her voice filled with excitement. She handed me three train tickets. Each held one of our names, and the name of a town somewhere in Connecticut.

"Fareville? Is that even a real name?" I said as I read the ticket.

She looked down at me, "Yes," she said. "It's one of the most powerfully Greek cities. Outside if Greece, of course."

"So, this tiny town in Connecticut is filled with magic? Really?" I said again, dragging out the last word.

She sighed, pressing her fingers to her temples. "Yes, child."

"You're so annoying." I muttered under my breath.

"I am _not_ the annoying one here! You are behaving childishly." She said as she stood. She stomped her foot. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Yeah, 'cause I'm the one having a temper tantrum." I said, walking over to Nico and kneeling down beside him.

"I should incinerate you." She said haughtily, putting her perfectly manicured hands on her narrow hips. "I can't though. Your mother would kill me." She sounded like a toddler who last their favorite toy.

"Yeah, well." I said, pressing two fingers to Nico's neck. His pulse was strong, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "Too flipping bad."

"Fine then." She turned around and disappeared again in a cloud of sweetly scented mist.

Line-break.

"Ow." Nico mumbled, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. "What-" He looked at me, scrunching his eyebrows together. "Did she…?" I nodded.

"She gave me this." I said, holding up the tin.

"Crap." Nico grumbled, reaching for it and looking over the engravings. "This stuff is almost as powerful as the river Lithe. Did she tell you who to use it on?"

"No, just that if it got on anyone it would severely mess up their heads for a couple days." I shrugged, looking over at Moira.

"Piper told me about that stuff. The Stolls managed to get their hands on a pinch of it. Two of my cabin mates had to be locked in the infirmary for a week." She shrank away from the dust, skirting around our tent.

Nico turned the metal casing over in his hands, and carefully opened it. His eyes went dark.

"There's a lot of this stuff in here." He said, giving it a small shake. "Enough to take out a god." He looked at me, and then Moira.

"So, which god?" She asked, still avoiding the tin.

"I guess we'll find out in Fareville, Connecticut." I said, starting to rummage around in my pack for some food. I pulled out a granola bar, and took a huge bit.

"Wow, that's attractive." Nico said mockingly, and I tossed my wrapper at him.

"Shub ub!" I yelled around my mouth full of food. I meant to say 'shut up'. Nico was chuckling, his eyes bright.

"You've been spending too much time with Travis." He said, and Moira grinned.

"I hab nop!" I said, tucking my feet underneath me. I was blushing, trying to swallow.

Moira was on her knees, clutching her stomach. Her cheeks were bright red, and she was laughing so hard she was crying.

I swallowed hard, sending the rest of my food painfully down my throat. I mock-glared at Nico, who handed me the little candy-tin of doom. I carefully wrapped it inside an old t-shirt, and shoved it into the bottom of my backpack.

I stood up, grinning. Moira had collected herself enough to stand, leaning on Nico's shoulder. They were both grinning manically, and I pushed Nico's shoulder.

"Help me get the tent packed up, we need to get moving." I said, shoving them both outside. "And by help, I mean you two get the tent packed up while I take a nap." I leaned against one of the nearby trees, sinking slowly to the ground.

"Cam, get up!" Moira laughed, starting in on the pegs that held the tent down.

"Uh-uh." I said, shaking my head. "I had to stay up _all night_ last night, because pretty princess Nico over there went and passed out."

"If I recall correctly, Aphrodite came to see you. By association, it's your fault." Nico said, dragging out the sleeping bags.

"Yeah, well." I said, closing my eyes. Moira groaned, and I smirked. "Wake me when you're done." I whispered.

I felt myself slipping into a deep sleep. I shouldn't have felt anything, because you never really know when you fall asleep, you just do.

_The first thing I realized in my strange little dream, was that I wasn't in control of my dream at all. It didn't even feel like my dream, it was like I was inside someone else's head. I looked around the room I had appeared in. It was large, mostly empty. A decrepit looking desk sat in the far corner. I walked towards it, my feet snaring in the extremely frayed carpet. _

_ I opened one of the draws, and pulled out a necklace. It was small, with a tiny gold pendant. The pendant looked vaguely like a rising sun. I slipped in silently into my back pocket, and crept up to the door. _

_ "She is not ready." Said a hushed voice. It sounded very musical, soft and warm._

_ "She has to be. He needs her. We need her. Without her, this will fail. She has to be ready by the setting of the next new moon. When dawn comes, she must be ready." Said another, masculine voice. It was as harsh as the first voice was soft. Cold, empty sounding. I shivered involuntarily._

_ "She can't be. The next new moon is three days away. I will not put my child through that. Camilla does not deserve to-" They shouted over each other for a moment, and I pressed my ear to the door. The first voice had said my name. It had called me its child. _

_ "No one does! Not her, not my son, not Apollo's daughter, none of them. But one of them must make a sacrifice. One of them must-" There was more yelling, and the second voice sounded dangerously heated. I had only heard that tone once before, when Nico had lost himself in his rage towards Aphrodite. _

_ "We have to protect them, we have to do something! We can't just let them die. " Said a third voice. Warm, radiant. It resonated though my head, echoing. _

_ My jaw must have hit the floor. The voices on the other side of the door were Eos and Hades, and someone whom I assumed to be Apollo. I swallowed hard, blinking back tears. _

_ "I just don't want to lose her." Eos said softly, her voice filled with sorrow. _

_ "I know. I do not, in any way, wish this upon them. Nico is as much my son as she is your daughter. But some things must be done. All battles have fatalities, and this time," Hades, whom I had always been told was cold-hearted and cruel, sighed a bitter, pitiful sigh. "Our children have been caught in the cross fire." _

_ "So then, there is nothing we can do." My mother sounded so cold and emptied out, my chest ached. _

_ "It is up to them now. If they cannot save each other, there is no one who can." Hades voice sounded heavy, like there was an enormous weight on his shoulders._

_ Apollo was muttering what I assumed to be poetry, and my mother's firm voice spoke out over him._

_ "We cannot get involved. I wish you both the best, but I must go and watch over her. There may be nothing for me to do, but I will not leave her."_

I woke with a start, Nico leaning down over me and shaking my shoulders. I looked up at him, panicked. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, and refused to let go. He sunk to his knees next to me.

"We have three days." I said, looking at him and Moira. I reached into my back pocket, and found the small necklace still there. I slipped the long chain around my neck, and the pendant rested the above my waist. "Three days to fulfill our prophecy, or we're going to be in really, really deep crap."


	20. Ferris Wheels and Fates

"So, this is supposed to be one of the most magical places in the US?" Moira said, looking around the run-down amusement park. The Ferris Wheel looked like it was about to fall down, and the other rides looked about as inviting as Mr. D's hugs.

"Uh…" I said, turning around slowly. Nico was suppressing a laugh, and I put my hands on my hips. "Something funny there Ghost Boy?" I asked.

"There's an entrance to the underworld over there," He pointed to the door of the fun house, and I shivered. "And there are definitely spirits around here. I'm guessing that Aphrodite never said it was the friendly kind of magical." He shot a pointed look at me.

"Well…" I said, kicking at the dirty concrete.

I looked at Moira, and found her with her eyes transfixed on the Ferris Wheel. Before I could even ask her what was wrong, she sprinted to the base and started climbing. She was half way up by the time I had reached the bottom.

"Moira?" I yelled, placing one foot on the closest spoke. She didn't look back at me, climbing higher and higher.

I shoved myself between the bars and started following, Nico right behind me. Moira was tediously perched, her feet on rungs opposite each other. Her body was swinging violently away from the framework, and I suppressed a scream.

"Moi? Moi, just calm down. Tell me what's happening." I said, finally pulling myself up beside her, my arms straining to maintain their hold.

"Moira?" Nico asked, coming up on her other side. He scrunched his eyebrows together, taking in the same image I had a moment before.

"Look." She said. Her eyes darted back to the ground beneath us, and I followed her gaze. Three creatures were below us, on the ground. One of them, who I decided to name Joe, was fiddling with the controls of the wheel. I saw the second, deciding to name this one Mack, hit Joe in the back of the head. A small skirmish broke out between them, but they were soon on task again.

The third one, who I had adopted the name Bob for, finally shoved to the front. Bob stuck its hand down on the control board, and the whole wheel roared to life. I looked over at Nico as my feet began to lose traction.

"Grab one of Moira's arms!" He yelled over the roar of the ancient engine. I nodded and held on to Moi as tightly as I could with one arm.

"When I say, let go!" Nico yelled, straining again over the engine.

I looked at him incredulously. "Are you an idiot!" I screamed at him. He just smirked, nodding.

"One!" He shifted his weight a little. "Two!"

I leaned over, kissing his cheek. I smiled at him, and launched myself away from the rickety structure.

There was a sudden chill as we passed through the shadow of the fun house. I felt the deep, dank feeling I always got when Nico used his shadow travel.

I smacked down on the ground, next to the base of the Ferris Wheel. I looked to my left, and Nico was passed out beside me. Moira was laying limply on his other side, her forehead bruised.

"Well." Quipped a nasal voice from a few feet above me.

"That was far from exhilarating." Said another shriveled old lady.

"Indeed." The third one said. She stepped down the small service ladder, and reached for my hand. I stood, ignoring the frail looking arm.

"That was a test." Said the smallest of the three, coming to stand beside her sister. "You passed."

"So, um…" I said, hoping they would just leave. Their eyes were the only thing about them that seemed alive, bright blue and penetrating. One of them, Joe, had a huge carpet bag, and I could see a pair of knitting needles the second one, Mack, was holding. The third, Bob, had a pair of scissors.

"Yes, yes." Bob said dismissively. "We are the Fates. Come along. Your friends will be fine when you return." She shuffled off towards the fun house, and I followed.

The house smelled like mold and old socks, but the Fates didn't seem to mind. They just kept walking down the twisting hallways, ignoring the warped mirrors flashing back their distorted reflections.

"It is your job," Said Joe, making me jump after the long minutes of silence. "To protect and persevere. Chiron has informed you of this?"

"Um…Yeah." I said, unsure.

"Good. You will need much perseverance where we are going next." Said Mack, pushing aside her sister and pulling a string hanging from the ceiling. A ladder dropped down out of the hidden hatch, almost dropping down on my head.

Bob pointed up the ladder, clearly meaning for me to go alone. I stepped shakily onto the wooden planks. They creaked under my weight, but I forced myself to finish the climb. As soon as I had stood, the door snapped closed behind me.

I looked around the tiny room I was in. There was a mirror in one corner, and a large train trunk in the other. A small cot-like mattress sat molding against the far wall.

"I'm sorry that we had to meet this way." Said a soft voice, right behind me.

I screamed, stumbling forward.

"It is far from ideal to meet your one and only niece in a run-down amusement park in the middle of nowhere." I turned back around slowly, the feminine voice soothing my anxieties. "Now let me get a good look at you Darling."

I lifted my chin, and she smiled. "You have your mother's eyes. Very pretty, just like the color of the skies. If I recall correctly, right before the dawn rises."

"Why am I here?" I ask, wishing I didn't ever have to leave. I wanted to stay there, resting peacefully.

"You're here because you are needed." She smiled again, her pale blue eyes sparkling like the moon on the ocean. "And right now, I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"

I nodded, my hands shaking.

She rested her fingers on my temples, and my eyes flickered closed.

_ "Camilla, come here!" My dad yelled, pounding down the narrow hallway. I pushed myself deeper into the closet, wishing that I had more than one hiding spot in our tiny apartment. _

_ "Camilla." He said. I could see his shadow across the door. I pushed it open slowly, and he was glaring down at me. "Why didn't you come when I called?" His breath reeked of alcohol and refried beans. _

_ "I…" I muttered, slowly edging my way out of the cramped space. _

_ "It's all right Cam, just don't let it happen again." He smiled at me, and I took a step back. I didn't like the look in his eyes. I looked up at him, and he smirked again. He looked like he was sorry. He looked like he cared._

_ "I'll try Daddy." I said, shuffling towards my room. _

_ "You'll try!" He bellowed, and I felt him push me. I stumbled, landing on my hands and knees. He stormed down the hallway again, back to his football game. _

_ I slowly stood and walked into my room. I leaned against the door, my eyes stinging. I had wanted, for that one brief instant, to believe that he loved me. I had wanted to believe that he was sorry for yelling at me. _

_ I locked my door. Pressing my hand down over my mouth to stifle a sob, I rushed to my dresser. I started pulling out my clothes, stuffing them into the duffle bag I had had prepared for the last six months. _

_ I shoved in my bracelet, the one my grandmother had given me. The little blue stone hanging from the gold chain caught the light, and I smiled. _

_ Looking around my room one last time, I shimmied my window open. I stepped quietly out onto the fire escape and started down the four story building. The ladder was rusted and old, but it held. I jumped the last few feet, landing next to a dumpster. I heard a crash from up above me, and saw my father on the fire escape, searching for me. _

_ Tears slipped down my freckled cheeks, but I just tightened the strap of my bag. I looked over my shoulder one last time before I slipped into the shadows. My father was still there, at my window. He didn't look sad. He didn't look sorry. _

_ I didn't look back again._

My eyes snapped open, and I took a step away from Selene.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. I just shook my head. It was too much. "We need to go under again. Not to your father. A different time."

I started crying, but she just shushed me.

"Alright." I whispered, my voice shaking.

_ I walked up to the playground, slowly inspecting it. I didn't see anyone hiding inside the structure, so I crawled inside. It was warmer in the tunnels, so I wriggled into one of them. I laid like that for a while, not really sleeping but not fully awake. _

_ "Excuse me?" I heard a small voice say. I almost cracked my head open as I sat up. _

_ "Who are you?" I asked, ready to run._

_ "My names Kali." Said a girl who looked about my age. _

_ "Mine's Camilla." I scooted back down inside my tube, and motioned for her to crawl inside the adjoining one. _

_ "Where are you from?" She asked, her voice echoing in the plastic. _

_ "West Virginia. You?" I tried to look at her, but the confined space made it almost impossible. _

_ "Two miles down that side road." She said, sounding sleepy._

_ "Go to bed Kali. I'll figure thus out in the morning." I heard her mumble something before drifting off. I just stayed there for a long time, listening. It was nice to hear someone else breathing. It was comforting. _

_ I would be hearing that noise for the next four years. _

When I came to the second time, I was on the floor. Selene was looking down at me worriedly, and I forced myself to stand.

"You did well." She said.

"Why did I need to do that?" I rubbed the back of my head, where a small bump was already forming.

"You need to remember your roots. You need to remember what has made you this strong. You need to remember who you were before you became who you are now. You need to let those things go."

The ladder dropped down into the fun house again, where I could see Nico and Moira at the bottom.

"How do I do that?" I asked, my voice filled with tears. I turned around, but she was already gone.


	21. Completion

The rock hit me in the back of the head, sending me flying into the wall. I glared up at the titan, Themis. Her golden eyes glared down at me.

"Please stop." I said, looking to my left. Nico and Moira were slumped against the wall too, both of them out cold.

"I'm sorry Camilla, but I do not have any other choice. You should not have been born, and I must set the scales right." She said, raising her sword. I scrambled for my backpack, cutting open the zipper. The dust was right where I had left it.

"I'm sorry too." I said, opening the box and throwing the contents all over her.

She opened her mouth to speak, but instead she fell over backwards.

I crawled over to Nico and Moira, laying down next to them. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the pain in between my eyes.

I thought back over the past two days, my mother, how we had rushed and rushed to get here. Here being the subway system underneath New York. It was cold and wet, and I watched as I rat rushed up a wall and into a pipe.

I felt a tear trace down my cheek as I thought about what the titaness had said.

"_You should not have been born…"_

I pulled off the necklace that I had been wearing for the past three days. I glimmered, even in the darkness of the tunnel I was in.

I don't really know why, but I pressed my lips to the cool metal. It heated quickly in the palm of my hand, burning my skin. I dropped it on the cement floor.

There was a flash above me, and I curled into myself.

"It's alright." Said a soothing voice, brushing my hair behind my ear. I peeked out from underneath my lashes, unsure.

The face above me smiled, her cheeks rosy. She was wearing golden Greek battle armor.

"Mom?" I asked, pressing the heels of my hands into my temples. My head was pounding, but I couldn't look away from her.

"Hello Camilla." She said, resting her hand over mine. She glanced at Nico and Moi, bending down next to them. She pressed a finger to each of their foreheads, and I watched as their cuts and bruises healed before my eyes.

"Um…" I said, leaning away from her. I wanted more than anything to reach out and hug her, but she was the most intimidating thing I had ever seen.

"I know dear, I know." She said, rocking back on her heels. "But I need you to listen, do you understand?"

I nodded, and she continued. "Most of the Olympians want you dead. Ares is screaming for blood, Aphrodite is sighing all the time, Zeus is in a particularly foul mood. All because of you."

"Sorry." I muttered, not looking at her.

"There is no reason to be sorry, but you need to understand what I am saying. Your prophecy is one of the most powerful since the great prophecy was issued years ago. You are the most powerful demi god of your era. A modern day Hercules, if you will.

"That being said, you have a place on Olympus, which no god or titan can take away from you." She glared at the form laying on the floor. "But first, you must accept your post, and there will be no going back afterwards." She looked at me with pity, her blue eyes warm.

"What post?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"You would be the Centurion of the Dawn. A post that has not been filled since your first brother, born in the beginning of the Greek's strongest years, resigned. With the post left open, spirits escape from the underworld every dawn. No one knows how or why, but they do." She shook her head disapprovingly, clearly upset over the matter.

"What does it have to do with our prophecy?" I said, looking over at Nico.

"Everything, Darling." I wanted to cry. I hadn't heard so much love in someone's voice in years.

I looked over at Nico and Moira again, wishing I could curl up next to them and sleep. I wanted to forget what was happening. I wanted to be free of this.

"Take me to Olympus." I said, standing.

"So," Said Zeus, his voice booming in the cavernous room. "You know the conditions?"

"I do." I said, looking down at my new armor. The same as the one Leo made me, but this time, solid gold.

"And you understand what will happen after you have accepted?" Zeus said, eyes flashing.

"I do." I clasped my hands behind my back. "But I want to say goodbye to someone first." I said, and all of the Olympians in the room stared at me. I saw Aphrodite smile.

"Then you had better do so quickly." Zeus said, motioning to the door.

"Hi there." I said quietly as I pushed the door open. Nico and Moira were sitting on the couch ing the center of the Big House.

They both turned and stared at me, their eyes full of shock. I smiled at them as they rushed forward and pulled me into a huge group hug.

"Cam!" Moira yelled, her eyes huge as she pulled away. "You look amazebeans!"

"Thanks," I said, looking down. "I can't stay very long, there's somewhere I have to be."

Her face fell, but she nodded. As far as I had heard, Hermes had sent out the notice to camp during my past week on Olympus.

"I'm gonna go outside." She said, brushing past me, her eyes shining. I watched as she slipped open the sliding glass doors, her hand shaking.

"Bye Moira." I said, smiling. I turned back to Nico, who was standing with his arms folded.

"I take it you know?" I asked, shifting my weight from one foot to the other.

He nodded, looking me in the eyes for the first time since I had walked through the door.

"I wanted to say goodbye. After everything, I don't know, it just felt right to…" I ran out of words, my voice catching.

"And you always do what's right." He said, smiling sadly. Tears sprang into my eyes, and he pulled me to his chest.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled into his t-shirt, wrapping my arms around him.

"I know." He said, kissing the top of my head. I tried to memorize everything about him, his scent, his voice, his eyes. I knew it would fade eventually, but I needed to remember as much as I possibly could.

The amulet underneath my armor had started to heat up, and I knew I was supposed to be back on Olympus soon.

"You have to let me go." I said quietly, more tears spilling over my cheeks again.

He shook his head no, holding me tighter. I felt him take one deep breath, and felt his arms loosen.

"I love you." He whispered. He leaned down and kissed me, and I tried to keep yet more tears from falling, but I failed. I tried to ignore the sparks in my stomach as his lips pressed against mine.

"I love you too." I said after we pulled apart.

"Still mad at me?" He asked, his eyes watering.

"Always." I laughed. "Always."

He smiled at me sadly, but took a step back.

"Goodbye Nico, it was nice meeting you." I said, closing my eyes and pulling on the necklace my mother had given me. It brought me back to Olympus.

After I agreed, things were different. It was hard at first, being powerful. I hated to looks I got from the nymphs and spirits. But it got easier.

I watched as Nico and Moira grew closer. I watched as their little black haired son grew up to love Halloween and bows and arrows. I watched as Percy and Annabeth fell even more in love. I watched. And I watched.

Sometimes, I still think back to the prophecy, recalling the words and their meanings.

_A daughter of dawn ushers in a new morning,_

Me, and the new era of peace me, Apollo, and the other Olympians had brought about.

_The goddess of love gave to all a fair warning._

This line always makes me smile. Boy, did she ever warn me.

_The touch of a brother to sooth all your ails,_

Moira, and how she had healed me by loving Nico when I couldn't. How she had been with him.

_When all others have forsaken your cursed wails,_

For when Moi heard him, when no one else, not even I, could.

_For sinners and saints must all fall,_

The spirits escaping from the Underworld.

_If the dark before the dawn does not save them all._

When Nico had to let me go.

I sighed again, looking down. There he was, his green eyes still the same. He was next to Moira, holding her hand. Their son was splashing in to ocean water. They were happy. I was happy.

-End-


	22. The Sequel

**I thought I would post and let anyone who has been following this story know that a sequel will be up within the next week or so. **

**I've been considering writing more about this story for a long time, and after re-reading the comments and some of the story, I decided that your support deserved to be recognized. :D**

**This story will be slightly less strict in its following of the 'laws' of the PJO universe. **

**Camp Half-Blood is more like Camp Jupiter, and you'll see why when the story is put up.**

**So, without any more of my babbles, the story is…**

_**Afterthought.**_

**Synopsis:**

_**Twenty-three years after Camilla became centurion, Nico and Moira's sixteen year old son, Cameron, is back at Half-Blood. His fifteen year old 'cousin' Lia, the hyper-active daughter of Percy and Annabeth, joins him. Will the summer be what the pair has been wanting since hearing their parent's stories, or will the arrival of an old family friend drag the two of them into yet another drama-filled year in the lives of second-hand demi-gods?**_


	23. Afterthought: Up Now!

**The first chapter of ****_Afterthought _****is up now! **

**Thank you anyone who has read this story! It means a lot!**


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